Indo-Bangladesh border goes hi-tech

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on March 5 inaugurated an advanced electronic surveillance system along the 61-km India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of Assam to tackle cross-border crimes and provide respite to BSF personnel from round-the-clock patrolling.

Singh said the new project, under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), will equip the unfenced areas along the riverine border with sensors, enabling the troops to take prompt action against intrusion.

“The BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) project will cover the entire span of river Brahmaputra in Dhubri with data network generated by microwave communication, OFC cables, day and night surveillance cameras and intrusion-detection system,” the minister said after inaugurating the project.

These modern gadgets provide feeds to the BSF control rooms along the border and enable the paramilitary force’s quick reaction teams to thwart any possibility of illegal border crossing and crimes.

Noting that the BSF is responsible for safeguarding the 4,096-km international border with Bangladesh, the minister said, “At places where it is not possible to erect a border fence due to geographical barriers, this BOLD-QIT will prove effective.”

“The implementation of this project will not just help the BSF crack a whip on cross-border crimes, but provide respite to the troops from round-the-clock human surveillance,” he said.

The 61-km border in Dhubri district, where the Brahmaputra enters Bangladesh, comprises vast stretches of sand bank and innumerable river channels, making vigilance a daunting task for the BSF, especially during the rainy season.

Talking about a border project in West Bengal, the minister said, “The state government had assured us about a year back that it would acquire land. But that has not happened so far and work got delayed,” he said.

Singh also said he inaugurated two smart fencing pilot projects, spanning 5km each, on the India-Pakistan border in September.

Asked if the facility will be extended along the entire India-Bangladesh border, Singh said, “It will take time, but a system such as BOLD-QIT should be adopted along the Indo-Bangla border as well as the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir.”

In January 2018, the information and technology wing of the BSF undertook the BOLD-QIT project and completed it in a record time with the technical support of various manufacturers and suppliers.

“The riverine section of Indo-Bangladesh border in Dhubri is considered to be highly porous where movement of illegal immigrants and smuggling of arms, ammunition and other goods are very common. The smart fencing will solve the problem to a great extent,” a home ministry official said.