BSF identifies border’s ‘vulnerable’ spots, to ‘thwart’ influx of Rohingyas

The Bengal border offers a challenge as it is semi-porous and a network of touts and middlemen operate to bring in illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. (Reuters Photo)

Facing the possibility of a fresh influx of Rohingya refugees, the BSF, on instructions from its top brass in Delhi, has identified “vulnerable” spots along the India-Bangladesh border and is prepared to “thwart” any attempt by them to cross over to Bengal. Sources in the BSF said Rohingyas are expected to enter India through the borders, and may even reach Kolkata. “The mandate given to us is clear. It is to deal with them firmly. We will identify and push back. We have held coordination meetings with all agencies, identified vulnerable border outposts to thwart them,” PSR Anajaneyulu, IG, BSF (South Bengal), told The Indian Express.

Over the past week, a series of meetings have been held between BSF officials in the state and the top brass in New Delhi. This was followed by more meetings in Kolkata. At a meeting of BSF commandants held at the South Bengal headquarters in Kolkata on Tuesday, the plan of action was made clear. Previously, the mandate was to arrest Rohingyas and hand them over to state police, but now, they have been instructed to push back, said BSF sources.

The BSF is now extending its local source base and working with different agencies, including customs, to identify and track Rohingyas. “They are hard to identify. The few papers that they do carry, are of Bangladesh. From Myanmar, they pass through Bangladesh to try and enter India,” said a senior BSF official. Moreover, the 2,217 km border that the state shares with Bangladesh offers a tough challenge as it is semi-porous and has a network of touts and middlemen who help illegal immigrants enter from Bangladesh and provide them fake voter ID cards.

“The routes Rohingyas are likely to take have been identified. Vulnerable spots like Ghojadanga and Petrapol have been identified. After entering Bengal, there is a possibility that they will enter Kolkata and then move to different parts of the country. The border is semi-porous, and in many spots, villages overrun the fences. Therefore, it is a challenging task to identify infiltrators, especially Rohingyas. However, we have been developing our local sources to identify them,” said a senior BSF officer.

The BSF has been apprehending Rohingyas along the Bengal-Bangladesh border since 2013. A majority of them claim to be Bangladeshi citizens to avoid being arrested for illegally entering India. Another route they are known to take is via Port Blair by boat to enter south India, said sources. In an affidavit it submitted to the Supreme Court recently, the Centre had expressed concern regarding Bengal’s borders, fearing an influx of Rohingyas from there because of the existence of a system of touts.

The affidavit stated that “over and above the said serious security concern already in existence, more disturbing part is that there is an organised influx of illegal immigrants Rohingyas into India via Benapole-Haridaspur (West Bengal), Hilli (West Bengal), Sonamora (Tripura), Kolkata and Guwahati. This situation is seriously harming the national security of the country…”

Through the affidavit, the Centre had said Rohingyas pose a “security threat” to the country and that intelligence inputs suggested some illegal immigrants have links with Pakistan-based terror groups. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said she supported the stand of the United Nations, which has appealed to the international community to help Rohingya Muslims. She had also stated that “not all Rohingyas are terrorists”.