. India shares around 4100 km of its land border with Bangladesh. The entire stretch consists of plain, riverine, hilly and with hardly any natural obstacles. Instead of natural barriers, border meanders through villages, agricultural lands, etc. Undemarcated stretches and adverse possessions had been causing constant friction between the border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh.
Illegal immigration
Poor development, religious persecution, environmental concerns etc., pushed Bangladeshis into India, while India’s huge economy and accommodative society pulled immigrants. Communal violence in Assam has direct link with this immigration.
Cattle and other smuggling
Cattle from UP, Bihar is taken to borders for grazing and then smuggled to Bangladesh. This way government is losing revenue of around 10000 crore annually. Along with cattle, smuggling of arms, diesel, human and narcotics trafficking, counterfeit Indian currency are quite rampant along the IndiaBangladesh border.
Bases of Anti India elements
Presently, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) as well as several other insurgent outfits from the Northeast have bases in Bangladesh.
Fencing
Fencing and floodlighting are important constituents of maintaining vigilance along the borders. Government has undertaken the work of construction of fencing, floodlighting and roads along these borders. 6. Integrated check posts: There are several designated entry and exit points on the international borders of the country through which cross border movement of persons, goods and traffic takes place. Conventional infrastructure for discharge of various sovereign functions at these points is neither adequate nor coordinated between various Government agencies.
