India is strictly prohibited from constructing barbed wire fences within 150 yards of the Bangladesh-India border, affirmed Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday (January 12) at the Secretariat regarding the border situation, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury emphasized that India will not be permitted to proceed with such construction. He noted that Bangladesh has formally communicated its concerns to India and informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry is expected to summon the Indian High Commissioner within the next couple of days to provide detailed information and officially protest the construction activities.
Jahangir Alam Chowdhury highlighted that between 2010 and 2023, India engaged in unauthorized activities along the border, actions that were facilitated by the previous government. Of the 4,156-kilometer-long Bangladesh-India border, India has completed barbed wire fencing along 3,271 kilometres and recently began fencing the remaining 885 kilometres.
He stressed that any development within the restricted border area requires mutual discussions and agreement, as outlined in bilateral accords—a procedure India has failed to follow.
Furthermore, Chowdhury revealed that India had recently started constructing fences at five different border points. However, due to the firm resistance from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local communities, India was compelled to suspend construction in those areas.
