BSF, BGB launch joint border surveillance project

 The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Friday initiated a first of its kind joint surveillance project along 8.3 km of Indo-Bangladesh border to curb all types of anti-social and criminal activities in the region.

The joint initiative of two border guards by implementing additional resources, manpower and latest gadgets would be operative between BSF border outpost Gunarmath and Kalyani in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district and BGB outpost Putkhali to Daulatpur on the other side of the fence.

"This is a new concept adopted by the two border guarding forces to cooperate with each other, and at the same time, local civil administration including police and non-governmental organisations would also participate in creating an awareness amongst the local population that they can resist the commission of bribe," BSF Director General K.K. Sharma told the reporters here.

He also said that along with the increased surveillance activities, special efforts would be made to make the bordering region economically active and vibrant, so that the locals do not get lured by the bribes given by cross-border miscreants.

"We also intend to create newer and better avenues of livelihood and bring more economic development in the area, so that these people can lead their life without taking bribes," he said.

The officer revealed that the concept of "crime-free zone" was agreed upon by both the nations during the Director General-level talk in Delhi in October last year.

Echoing Sharma, his Bangladesh counterpart Abul Hosain said the integrated surveillance plan would succeed in make the region free from crime and hoped that the model would be followed along the entire Indo-Bangladesh border in future.

"Both the border forces are going to work together to monitor the stretch of 8.3 km 24x7. It would be a joint effort to curb any sort of anti-social crimes, smuggling or trafficking in the area," Hosain said.

"If the venture becomes successful, we would try to apply the same model in the entire Indo-Bangladesh border. We hope this model to be adopted around the world to make the bordering areas peaceful, stable, economically vibrant and free from crime," he said.

He also pointed out that state-of-the-art surveillance technologies such as drones, cameras, censors would be used by both forces to make the security of the region fool-proof.