Tripura's 47.584 km unfenced border with Bangladesh raises concerns amid BGB obstruction

Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB) obstruction coupled with geographical challenges such as rivers and cliffs, has left 47.584 kilometers of Tripura's border with Bangladesh unfenced, causing worry among lawmakers.

As the Tripura Legislative Assembly entered its second day, CPIM and TIPRA Motha MLAs Nayan Sarkar and Ranjit Debbarma highlighted the pressing issue. A report from the Home Department revealed that several patches in six districts, including Unakoti, Khowai, North Tripura, Sepahijala, Dhalai, and South Tripura, are still devoid of fencing.

In Unakoti, 65 meters remain unfenced due to obstruction by the BGB and the presence of the Land Custom Station. In Khowai District, a 405-meter stretch lacks fencing due to water flow in the riverine. North Tripura faces a challenge of unfenced 400 meters due to a high cliff. Sepahijala District, sharing the majority of the international border, grapples with a 6.556 km-long unfenced area, as the work has recently commenced. In Dhalai, 37.610 km remains unfenced due to multiple reasons, including engineering goods movement, heavy vehicle traffic during road renovation, international agreements, and water flow of the Dhalai River. South Tripura witnesses approximately 2.548 km lacking fencing, with construction paused for a gate at Dashmighat in Sabroom after land acquisition.

The Tripura government formally notified the concerned Ministry of the Central Government on 05/02/2021 to complete the unfinished Border Fencing work. A review meeting in Agartala on 13/11/2021, with the presence of the Secretary of Border Management of the Central Government, directed agencies to expedite completion. Despite regular progress assessments by the state government, there is no information from the central government regarding the expected completion date.