Bangladesh has successfully prevented all attempts to push people across its border illegally and will not permit anyone to enter the country outside established legal procedures, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said today.
“Not a single person has been allowed to enter Bangladesh through an illegal push-in,” he said at a briefing after visiting the Border Guard Bangladesh headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka.
“The Border Guard Bangladesh, with support from local residents, has so far successfully thwarted all such attempts,” he added.
He said a small number of people had entered the country illegally, but the authorities had taken action in those cases.
Referring to reports of push-in attempts from India, Salahuddin said the government would discuss the matter with the Indian central government rather than respond to "political activities" by the newly elected West Bengal government.
He said if any Bangladeshi national was staying in India, the Indian authorities would have to provide a list through the foreign ministry under the prescribed procedure.
"We will conduct nationality verification. If the claim is found to be true, we will bring that person back through proper legal process. We will not allow anyone to enter through any other means," he said.
The home minister also said the government was considering constructing a barbed-wire fence along the Myanmar border, which he described as highly vulnerable because of armed conflict and the activities of different insurgent groups.
"We have not yet reached a final decision, but we have a proposal to construct a barbed-wire fence there," he said.
Salahuddin said the security situation along the Myanmar border differed from that along Bangladesh’s border with India.
Fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, along with clashes involving other armed groups, had placed Bangladesh in a difficult position, he said.
He also referred to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and other groups operating across the border, saying their internal conflicts often spilled over into Bangladesh.
The instability had contributed to drug smuggling and cross-border gunfire, which had at times killed Bangladeshi citizens, he added.
Amid growing concern over landmine explosions along the border, the government has supplied mine-detection equipment to the BGB.
"We have already provided the BGB with equipment for detecting mines. BGB members are using those devices so that further mine-related accidents can be prevented," the minister said.
Salahuddin said the government had taken several preliminary decisions to strengthen the BGB by increasing its manpower and procuring vehicles, equipment and weapons.
The measures are intended to improve border surveillance, intelligence gathering and the force's ability to act on the basis of collected information, he said.
The minister said the BGB also played a major role in preventing narcotics from entering the country and recovering drugs smuggled across the border.
He said the government had decided that the Department of Narcotics Control would initially seek assistance from the BGB's dog squad under the newly enacted narcotics control law.
The government also plans to expand and strengthen the BGB's role in assisting the civil administration, particularly during disasters.
Praising the border force's response during the recent floods, the minister said BGB personnel had taken part in rescue operations and used drones to deliver relief supplies to areas that could not otherwise be reached.
Asked whether BGB personnel who had shown courage in resisting push-in attempts would receive special recognition, Salahuddin said the force already awarded medals annually for important and courageous service.
He added that he would discuss with the BGB director general whether those involved in the recent operations could also be given certificates or other forms of recognition.
