Bangladesh heightens alert over forced India crossings

DHAKA:

Bangladesh's border guards have intensified patrols and launched public awareness campaigns along parts of the frontier with India because of concerns India has illegally forced people into Bangladesh, officials said.

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs the border states of Tripura, West Bengal and Assam, has said it would tackle undocumented migration as a priority.

Earlier this month, India's foreign ministry told reporters that India has asked Bangladesh to verify the nationality of more than 2,860 people suspected of being Bangladeshis and of living illegally in the country. India's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

The 60th Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh began campaigns on Sunday in border areas of the Brahmanbaria district, using loud speakers to warn residents and urging them to remain alert to attempts to push people across the border.

"We have started miking in border villages to raise awareness among residents and ask them to stay vigilant against any illegal crossings or push-in attempts," Lieutenant Colonel S. M. Shariful Islam, commander of the battalion, told Reuters.

"Our patrols and surveillance have been strengthened across the border areas. Intelligence operations are also continuing to prevent illegal push-ins, human trafficking, and the smuggling of drugs and other goods," he said.

Bangladesh and India share a border that stretches over more than 4,000 kilometres (2,485 miles), one of the longest land frontiers in the world.