I do not want to impugn the motives of my colleagues, but my attitude is, speaking just for me, you either believe in border security or you do not.” – John Kennedy
India and Bangladesh: Testing the Burning Waters
Chanakya, in his epochal treatise, ‘Arthshastra’ has opined that the gates of a kingdom must be secured properly and guarded zealously for the internal development as well as progress of a nation. Apart from Chanakya, the former great emperors of India, including- Chandragupta Maurya, the kings of Gupta, Rashtrakuta, Gurjara Pratihara, and Pala empires also had the same opinion, and followed the age-old practices of guarding borders with utmost precision and strategic decision-making apparatus. Aristotle, Alexander-The Great, Socrates, and other great philosophers as well as thinkers of the old world, the medieval period, renaissance and the new world order, also thought on the same lines.
The common thread binding all these thoughts and thinkers is their emphasis on internal security and border management. One cannot miss the inevitability, indispensability, and quintessentiality of the same. India and Bangladesh share a very old and special relationship. What started as a cruel rule of the British Raj on India for nearly 200 years, culminated in the partition of a former ‘Sone Ki Chidiya’, India- that is Bharat. Advocate J. Sai Deepak, in his book titled, “India, Bharat and Pakistan- The Constitutional Journey of a Sandwiched Civilisation” describes and beautifully narrates complexities that have shaped the Indian subcontinent.
The laying down of the foundational stones of a future nation of Pakistan is also well-explained in the same. The creation of Pakistan (east and west) as well as India can be understood effectively, while studying the underlying currents shaping the great metamorphosis of the Indian subcontinent. While the partition of India and Pakistan still aches the hearts of the sufferers, the liberation of Bangladesh bought much relief to the tortured and neglected citizens of East Pakistan.
Border Management and National Security: Studying the Deep Praxis of India and Bangladesh
India had played a major role in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 and the courageous Indian Army commanded by Field Marshal (First) General Sam Manekshaw as well as the likes of Lt. (Gen.) Jagjit Singh Aurora, fought valiantly alongside the valiant Mukti Bahini Army of East Pakistan. The final death nail in the coffin of West Pakistan’s brutal rule over East Pakistan and their Bengali roots-was the infamous ‘Operation Torchlight’ in which the Butcher of East Pakistan, Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan unleashed terror mercilessly and haplessly on gullible, innocent, as well as helpless civilians.
The oscillating position of Indian forces finally stood firm on aiding in the war against horrendous terror after the aforementioned operation, leading to the world-renowned victory of 16th December 1971. Nitin A. Gokhale’s “R.N. Kao- A Gentleman Spymaster” is an authentic treatise on how India liberated Bangladesh, on the intelligence side. But what is the relationship between the two nations today and where do they really stand? Recurrent news reports of drug trade, narcotic smuggling, anti-India sentiments, minority attacks, illegal migrant immigration, organised crime nexus,’ insurgency influx, radicalization, border mismanagement, frequent diplomatic demarches, et al are commonplace.
Right from 1971, the relationship started straining after the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, and Ziaur Rahman’s coming to power. The Battles of Belonia Bulges, the confusion, and frequent stalemates over the exchange of Berubari enclaves (9th and 100th Constitutional Amendment Acts, India), skirmishes and confrontations along the border-especially in Mymensingh, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet, and Chittagong- highlight the history behind present day troubled relationship. The principle of watershed was also adopted to resolve certain issues. But today the extreme position adopted by our able counterpart on the East, on India’s territorial sovereignty, national security, defense, and strategy, etc- has made it quite difficult for India to compromise and issue joint statements, collaboratively. Thus, the very issue of border security resonates deeply in the power circles of India’s bureaucracy, national diplomacy, and military negotiations. Certain border-related issues need to be discussed in detail before pointing out practical solutions.
Firstly, the issue of illegal immigrants threatens the very idea of national security, at a large extent. The image of an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant flashed across television screens nationwide in the recent Saif Ali Khan attempt to robbery case, was not just horrific but highly frightening for the common citizens of India. This highlights a valid concern of mass illegal immigration from Bangladesh in India. It had already created furor in the past with Assam Accord being signed as a solution, but the wounds are still afresh with the NRC becoming another point of contention, howsoever noble the objective. A repeat telecast of the same, will not be appreciated by Indian security forces. A recent Times of India report (20th January 2025) states that there is a well-oiled network that provides Bangladeshis illegal entry and jobs, which creates discontent amongst the locals due to loss of employment, basic facilities, and participation in governance systems.
North-eastern states of India sit on the hotbed of violent extremism, radicalization, insurgency, illegal immigration, and ‘separatist-mindset’ due to instability in Bangladesh. Secondly, the issue of narcotics and psychotropic substances’ smuggling comes in as a grave issue. Cattle, antique, illegal food trade, wildlife, medicinal drug smuggling and black-market nexus- all form a part of a bigger organised trade network. Their connection with other Indian enemy forces cannot be ruled out. Even though India has strict anti-smuggling laws such as Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), Customs Act 1962, Border Security Forces’ penalties, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence directions, etc.; practical execution does have some loopholes. Thirdly, India shares a long 4096 km. border with Bangladesh, connected through the Siliguri Corridor. This small part of land is a haven for anti-social elements dealing in human trafficking and flesh trade.
Juxtapose this with illicit drug trade, and this porous border becomes a breeding ground for ‘Death Crescent’ (Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan) and ‘Death Triangle’ (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand) dealers of death. The high demand for items like gold, especially from Gulf States such as UAE and Saudi Arabia, also has a hung impact on this border, driving illegal trade. Apart from this, issues such as counterfeit currency combined with advanced techniques like ‘mule carriers,’ darknet, cryptocurrency, leverage anonymity and complicate law enforcement efforts. Use of artificial intelligence in drones, kidnapping and theft incidents, have full capability to nix the goodwill efforts of border agencies. Densely populated borders, difficult fencing arrangements, land acquisition disputes, Berubari conclave matters, and long riverine meandering stretches over-complicate legal nuances in the border issues.
A Pragmatic Approach: The Way Forward
As mentioned above, the India-Bangladesh border faces an acute shortage of practical solutions, but abundance of sticky issues. Certain solutions such as- fencing arrangements for the border area must be undertaken. Six Indian states on the North-Eastern frontier share their border with Bangladesh. It must be noted that this area is the focal point of Government of India’s Act East Policy. In January 2025, the Indian government summoned Bangladesh’s Acting High Commissioner to India over security measures at border areas. Pakistan and Bangladesh consider CCTV and electronic surveillance measures as defense structures (within 150 yards of international border), which is prohibited under the 1975 Joint India Bangladesh Guidelines. But India does not concur on this viewpoint.
Bangladesh needs to understand the changing cyber security dynamics, as the same can aid in combatting narco-terrorism, financial instability, commercial frauds, illicit wildlife trade, and lessening of human trafficking across the border. Apart from this, heightened security measures at the porous border crossings, noting and studying demographic changes, as well as ensuring infrastructure development, can also aid in combatting border skirmishes. Bangladesh Rifles and the Border Security Forces (BSF) do engage in regular skirmishes on the border, and the same can be curbed by following the aforementioned protocols. Border Area Development Plans 1986, strengthened border monitoring and following the Land Boundaries Agreement of 2015, can provide necessary aid in building confidence at the border of India and Bangladesh.
Regular meetings between both the sides, at all levels such as military, diplomatic, bureaucratic should be held to clear out differences, sort out issues amicably and ensure development as well progress across both the borders. Border area development committees can be setup to ensure civilian-military-security forces combined workforce at play, for better border management synergy. It must be understood and noted that India and Bangladesh share a very old relation and encompass binaries of religion, ideologies, and political parties. Both the nations need to understand the underlying foundations of their sacred relationship, accept whatever little differences we have, ensure people-to-people relationships and cultural exchanges never get reduced to mere talking points, along with extending an amicable hand, whenever necessary. This will not only ensure a better working relationship at the surface level but, will also mandate thorough efforts from both sides for collective, collaborative, and shared progressive development. Jai Hind.
