Director General (DG) of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed on Wednesday said the country’s over 500-km border areas, out of 4,427 kms, are still unprotected.“BGB members still can’t guard the entire frontier areas. A total of 11 new units of the BGB have been approved to bring the unprotected areas under its strong vigilance,” he said.
Briefing reporters at the BGB headquarters, Gen Aziz said the BGB men will be able to ensure all-out security along the total border areas within the next two years.
He said four regional and four sector headquarters of the BGB have already been set up to bring dynamism into the activities of the border force.
Besides, over 300 vehicles have been provided for Border Out Posts (BOPs) and 17 water transports for the border force to guard reverine areas. “A total of 1,379 motorcycles have already been distributed among the BOPs to increase the border vigilance,” Aziz said.
About the killing of Bangladesh nationals by Indian Border Security Force BSF along the border, the BGB DG said killing along the frontiers is not expectable anyway. “We’re trying to bring the number of death along border to zero level.”
He said a total of 214 Bangladeshi nationals were killed and 323 injured along the Bangladesh-India border Since January 1, 2009 to May 31 in 2013.
Among those killed, 67 were reported in 2009, 60 in 2010, 39 in 2011, 34 in 2012 and 14 up to June 20 of this year.
Claiming to have a good relation with the BSF, Aziz said they still could not establish a good relation with Mayanmar’s Nasaka force for various reasons, including language problem.
He, however, hoped that the relation with Nasaka will improve in the days to come.
About reform of the BGB, Aziz said the seizure of illegal goods by the BGB men has marked a sharp rise following the formation of BGB Intelligence Bureau.
He said smuggled goods worth about Tk 2,221,272,751 were seized in the last four years and five months from January 1, 2009 to 31 May in 2013, and 6,531 people were arrested in this connection.
A total of 1,23,339 cases were also filed with different police stations across the country during the period, he said.
Mentioning that the BGB has intensified its anti-human trafficking drives across the country, the BGB boss said a total of 1,475 women and 670 children were rescued from January 1, 2009 to May 31 this year.
The BGB men also arrested 62 human traffickers during the period, he added. (Source: UNB)
