Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomes West Bengal Cabinet decision on India-Bangladesh border fencing
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma praises West Bengal's decision to fence the India-Bangladesh border, calling it a vital step for security. He urges cooperation among border states to ensure safety and timely completion of the project.
- May 13, 2026,
- Updated May 13, 2026, 5:07 PM IST
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 13 welcomed the decision of the West Bengal Cabinet to hand over land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing the India-Bangladesh border, calling it a crucial step for the security of Assam and the entire Northeast region.
Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati after chairing the first cabinet meeting of his second term in office, Sarma said strict vigilance and complete sealing of the India-Bangladesh border was essential to prevent infiltration and strengthen regional security.
“Our fight against infiltration always faced a problem because there was a huge gap in fencing between Bangladesh and West Bengal,” Sarma said.
The Chief Minister stated that several organisations in Assam have long demanded sealing of the international border in the state, but such efforts would remain ineffective without similar measures being implemented in West Bengal.
Highlighting the geographical importance of the border issue, Sarma noted that five Indian states, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam and West Bengal share borders with Bangladesh. He added that while Assam has the shortest border stretch, West Bengal has the longest.
According to Sarma, the West Bengal Cabinet has now decided to provide land to the BSF within 45 days to facilitate fencing work along nearly 800 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border.
“This is very heartening news for the people of Assam because we are fighting infiltration, and this cannot be stopped without a nationalist government in West Bengal,” he said.
Sarma also welcomed the move by newly sworn-in West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and termed the decision “historic” for the people of Assam and the Northeast.
He further said that securing the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal had remained one of his key campaign themes during the West Bengal Assembly elections, arguing that without a secured border there, the Northeast region would continue to face security concerns.