BSF orders 'high alert' along Bangladesh border; DG, senior officers in Kolkata

New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday issued a “high alert” across all its formations along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in the wake of the developments in the neighbouring country, officials said.

BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders have landed in Kolkata to review the security situation, they said.

The DG toured the North 24 Paragans district and Sunderbans area to review preparations.

The force has directed all its field commanders to be “on ground” and “deploy all personnel on border duty immediately,” a senior officer told PTI.

An spokesperson for its South Bengal Frontier based in the Kolkata headquarters said, “In view of the changed situation in Bangladesh, the BSF has issued alert all along Indo-Bangladesh border and the number of troops deployed along the border has been increased.” He added, “Leave of all the personnel posted along the Bangladesh border were cancelled in the last few weeks after Bangladesh witnessed massive protests and now all units have been asked to acquire an all alert posture.” The BSF guards the Indian front on the eastern flank of the country that runs along five states.

West Bengal shares a total of 2,217 kilometres of its border with Bangladesh, along with Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (318 km).

Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned as prime minister of Bangladesh and left the country, several news reports said, amid massive protests against her government that claimed more than 106 lives in the last two days.

There was, however, no official confirmation about her leaving Dhaka.