AGARTALA, Nov 30 - Ahead of the Bangladesh elections, BSF troops are on high alert along the international border, said BSF Inspector General (IG), Tripura Frontier, HK Lohia.
The men in uniform must remain alert to ensure heightened vigil along the border and the jawans are doing their jobs, Lohia told reporters here today on the occasion of the raising day of the force.
Asserting that smuggling and infiltration are major challenges for the troops in Tripura, Lohia said the BSF has achieved major success in checking smuggling of contraband items. �During the past one year, contraband items amounting to Rs 27 crore have been seized by BSF jawans from various locations,� he pointed out. The IG, however, played down the possibility of gold smuggling through the international border. �Local goldsmiths are using jewellery items brought from outside the State. Therefore, chances of gold smuggling are less,� he maintained.
Lohia, who has vast operational experience in the Eastern Command of the BSF, does not feel any threat of Rohingya infiltration. �A little less than 100 Rohingya infiltrators were nabbed after combined efforts. Since Bangladesh�s security forces are doing well, Rohingya is not a concern for us,� he claimed.
Around a 70-km stretch of the Indo-Bangladesh border is yet to be fenced due to various factors. �We are taking up the fencing works in phases by overcoming the hurdles. In some areas, conventional fencing is not feasible due to geographical conditions. We will use technology to ensure foolproof security along the unfenced border,� he said.
Lohia said the BSF has extended help to the BGB to build border outposts in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for better surveillance. This has been done on the request of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs following persuasion from Dhaka.
