India and Bangladesh are set to face off on February 17 over a dispute concerning a 150-yard strip of land along their border. On Tuesday, January 29, 2025, Bangladesh’s Home Advisor, Mohammad Jahangir Alam Choudhury, issued a stern warning, stating that India would witness a different stance from Bangladesh. He emphasized that the border issue would be discussed during a meeting scheduled in New Delhi next month.
Despite Bangladesh saying that it will “speak in a different tone” during the upcoming talks between the border forces of the two countries, India said that it expects “all mutually agreed MOUs and agreements to be honoured”. Director General level talks between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are to be held in New Delhi from February 17 to 20.
This would be the first meeting of the director generals of the border forces after the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina was ousted on August 5 last year, and an army-backed interim government took power.
India has been installing wire fencing along the nearly 5,000-kilometer-long border, a move that Bangladesh strongly objects to. Citing the 1975 agreement, Bangladesh claims that no defensive structure can be built within the 150-yard zone. However, India argues that the fencing is not a defense structure but a measure to prevent illegal infiltration, criminal activities, and cattle smuggling across the border.
Former Additional Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF), S.K. Sood, clarified that India does not consider the fencing a defense structure, although Bangladesh and Pakistan perceive it differently. Earlier this year, India had summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner, Mohammad Nurul Islam, to discuss the matter.
Bangladesh’s objections to India’s border fencing
Dr. Sridhara Dutta, a border issues expert and professor at O.P. Jindal University, explains that the India-Bangladesh border has remained complex since the 1971 partition. The border cuts through several villages, with some houses having one door in India and another in Bangladesh. In some cases, even a football field has one goalpost in India and the other in Bangladesh. Along the 2,217-kilometer border with West Bengal, many villages fall inside the fencing line.
A 1975 agreement between the two nations prohibits the construction of any defense structures within 150 yards of the border. Bangladesh views India’s wire fencing as a defense structure, arguing that it would allow India to monitor its territory.
According to Surjit Singh Guleria, a retired Inspector General of the BSF with 37 years of service, Bangladesh also raises concerns about India’s “smart fencing,” which includes CCTV cameras and electronic surveillance devices. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) believes that placing these devices within 100 yards of the border enables India to keep a close watch on Bangladeshi territory. Additionally, Bangladesh argues that the fencing would create difficulties for people living along the border.
India’s stand on the border dispute
The India-Bangladesh border stretches for 4,096.7 kilometers, passing through Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. India argues that illegal infiltration from Bangladesh is a major concern, and the fencing is being installed to prevent such activities.
According to Surjit Singh Guleria, the fencing within the 150-yard zone is mainly for villages located along the international border. He estimates that nearly 60% of cross-border crimes occur in areas without fencing or in villages situated right on the border. However, Bangladesh refuses to acknowledge this issue, leading to a dispute.
Commenting on Bangladesh’s objections, former military officer S.K. Sood stated that India has informed Bangladesh about the areas where fencing is incomplete due to population density or other constraints. He explained that if there are villages or water bodies near the border that cannot be relocated, India attempts to install fencing in a way that addresses security concerns.
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