BSF to deploy 7 more floating outposts along BD border

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has decided to deploy six to seven floating border outposts (BOP) along the riverine border with Bangladesh to increase border security, curb cross-border crimes and movement of terrorists belonging to northeast groups,
Currently, there are three BOPs that keep surveillance in the Sundarbans. However, to strengthen vigil along the riverine border with Bangladesh, BSF decided to deploy six to seven floating border outposts (BOP) next year, Indian media reports.
"In order to strengthen vigil, we are going to install more BOPs along our riverine border," Hindustan Times(HT) reports quoting PSR  Anjaneyulu, inspector general, BSF, South Bengal Frontier on Saturday. According to him, the installation of floating BOPs may take nearly one year.
The report said BSF has refused to divulge the number of BOPs that it is going to deploy.
The Ichhamati River marks the border between Bangladesh and south Bengal for quite some distance. The total stretch of this area is about 80- km where the new BoPs will be deployed.
The Sundarbans is the main border area and there are 102 islands in this area where 54 islands are inhabited by humans. The rest of the islands mainly consist of dense forests and wildlife habitats.
The vigil along Bangladesh border has been increased after the infiltration of the eastern neighbour of India by IS elements, and especially since the massacre in Dhaka's Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1 where 20 hostages (18 foreigners, two Bangladeshis) were killed, the report said.
Mentioning the Mumbai attack in 2008, it said even earlier guarding the waters became extremely important for the country since 2008 when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) carried out serial attacks in Mumbai after crossing the seas and landing in Mumbai.
However, the attack lasted for four days, snuffed out 164 lives and came to be recognised as a milestone in the terrorist activities in the modern world.
After this incident, the union government stepped up vigil in every riverine area that is sharing borders with another country, and at the same time asked every state government to strengthen vigil. Bengal government has also increased the number of costal police stations in Bengal and purchased modern equipment like speed boats, and installed radars.
"About 35-40 personnel posted in each BOP and four to five speedboats are deployed for every such outpost. These boats roam around the area in close coordination with the police and other security agencies that are also working in border area," said a BSF officer, requesting anonymity.
"Our men are already keeping round the clock vigil in the area. But after BOPs are installed, the level of vigil will go up further," said R P S Jaswal, the DIG, BSF, South Bengal Frontier.
BSF was asked to step up vigil in the border with Bangladesh. It has also sharply reduced the number of cattle that are smuggled through the land in Bangladesh, reports Hindustan Times.
After the BSF dug up trenches along the border area to stop cattle smuggling, smugglers tried to send cattle through waterways. There are several incidents where BSF with their speedboats chased these smugglers, caught them and seized cattle.
In June last the border guards of India and Bangladesh have decided to set up more border outposts (BOPs) to check trans-border movement of terrorists, smuggling and infiltration.
While India will construct 508 new BOPs, besides existing 1,200, Bangladesh will set up 50 more in addition to its existing 35.
Of the 50 new BOPs of Bangladesh, 35 would be constructed along Tripura and Mizoram border.
The barbed wire fencing is constructed 150 yards away from the zero line of the border to adhere to the agreement signed between the two countries in 1975.
Both the countries security forces agreed that the proposed BOPs in the mountainous Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) will help in containing terrorism in the northeastern states since most camps of Indian insurgent groups, including Tripura militant outfits, are located in southeast Bangladesh's CHT.
It here be mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina discussed the border issues, including curbing of border crimes and terror activities, during the former's visit to Dhaka.
Four Indian northeastern states of Tripura 856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share an 1,880-km border with Bangladesh.
The mountainous terrain, dense forests and other hindrances make the borders porous and vulnerable, enabling illegal immigrants and intruders cross over without any hurdles.