Vigil up along Banglade border to stop Rohingya infiltration: BSF

Guwahati, Oct 8 (IANS) The BSF has intensified its vigil along the Indo-Bangladesh border following the reports of Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar and taking shelter in Bangladesh, a official said on Sunday.

The move comes even as a high level committee instituted by the Central government on India-Bangladesh border is scheduled to visit the international border in Assam and Meghalaya from October 10.

Border Security Force's Inspector General, Assam Frontier, Rakesh Agarwala said that vigil has been intensified particularly in the riverine border areas, where there is a gap and are vulnerable to infiltration.

"We are trying to strengthen the gaps along the India-Bangladesh border. We have also inducted a full battalion recently to man the riverine border between the two countries," said Agarwala. He said the Committee will arrive on October 10 and is likely to visit Dhubri and Karimganj sectors before leaving for Meghalaya.

The IG, however, said that the infiltration from Bangladesh to India through the borders in Assam has reduced over last two years. "There are infiltration bid for the purpose of smuggling, where we have arrested people in the recent past. However, infiltration for settlement has reduced," he said.

The India-Bangladesh border in Assam is spread over 262 kms and out of this 48 kms are riverine borders.

The officer said that the BSF has been taking additional measures to ensure that there is no infiltration of Rohingyas. The forces guarding the 262 kms Indo-Bangla border uses electric surveillance to keep strict vigil along the international borders. They have also been using technologies like hand held thermal imagers, the Long-Range Reconnaissance and Observation System, Battle Field Surveilance Radar etc.