India and Bangladesh Recently Agreed to Launch a New 'Hotline' Between Border Forces.
International
In February 2025, India and Bangladesh recently agreed to establish a new 'hotline' for seamless communication between their border forces. This communication link will be set up between the Additional Director General (ADG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) Eastern Command, headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB), and his Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) counterpart in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- This decision was finalized during the 55th Director General (DG)-level Border Coordination Conference, a bi-annual meeting held from February 18 to 20, 2025, at the BSF headquarters in New Delhi, Delhi.
- The Indian delegation was led by Daljit Singh, DG of BSF, while Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, DG of BGB, represented Bangladesh.
- The 56th edition of the DG-level Border Coordination Conference is scheduled to take place in Bangladesh in July 2025.
Main Point :- (i) Currently, hotlines exist between the force chiefs of both countries, as well as officers holding ranks such as Inspector General (IG) (regional commander for BGB), Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (sector commander for BGB), and other field-level officers. These communication links facilitate real-time exchange of information and intelligence, enabling effective monitoring of border issues and curbing cross-border crimes.
(ii) During the meeting, India emphasized the importance of completing the fencing along the remaining sections of the 4,096 km-long border shared with Bangladesh, which spans across five Indian states—Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and West Bengal. According to official data, 864.48 km of the border remains unfenced, including 174.51 km classified as a 'non-feasible' gap.
(iii) The Directors General (DGs) of India and Bangladesh discussed the need to initiate fencing or the creation of a Single-Row Fence (SRF) at approximately 99 patches covering around 70-72 km of the border, following joint inspections and consultations. Previously, both sides had agreed to fencing at 92 patches, covering 95.8 km of the border.
About Bangladesh
President : Mohammed Shahabuddin
Capital : Dhaka
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