BSF to remove CCTV cameras from Kurigram zero line

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has agreed to remove the CCTV camera installed at the zero line of the Banshjani border in Bhurungamari upazila, Kurigram, following strong protests from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).  

The decision was reached during a flag meeting between the two forces, held at no-man’s land on the Banshjani border this afternoon. 

The BGB delegation was led by Kurigram BGB Battalion 22 Commanding Officer Lt Col Masudur Rahman, while the BSF team was headed by Commandant of the 162 BSF Battalion, Anil Kumar Manoj.  

Lt Col Masudur Rahman confirmed that the BSF has pledged to remove the CCTV camera by tomorrow. The meeting also resulted in an agreement to dismantle unauthorized tin structures built along the zero line, with both sides reaffirming that no structures should be erected within 150 yards of the border.  

The issue arose when BSF members allegedly installed a CCTV camera on an eucalyptus tree near sub-pillar 9 of international border pillar 978, facing Bangladeshi territory, on February 9. Locals noticed the camera the next morning and alerted the BGB, which promptly lodged a strong protest.  

The installation had raised concerns among residents, particularly as a 200-year-old mosque at the Dakshin Banshjani Jhakuatari border, frequently visited by worshippers from both countries, is currently undergoing reconstruction.  

The flag meeting also addressed various other border-related matters to ensure peaceful coexistence and cooperation between the two neighboring nations.