Barbed-wire fence to be erected along Myanmar border: Home Minister

The government has adopted initiatives to construct barbed-wire fences along the Myanmar border to prevent border killings and cross-border crimes, said Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday.

Speaking at the national parliament, the home minister also said the authorities are also considering plans to construct similar fences at sensitive parts along the border with India.

He made the remarks in response to a question placed by the ruling party’s Pabna-5 lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas.

The BGB has adopted a zero tolerance stance against the entry of drugs and weapons from across the border, in line with BNP’s election manifesto, Salahduddin noted.

To this end, the BGB is working in a coordinated manner to drive down border crime rates to “zero.”

The minister highlighted a number of new steps that have been adopted with a view to securing the border as well as national interests:

• Setting up new border outposts and TOBs at remote and sensitive parts of the border to increase and enhance border patrols.
• Launching smart surveillance system at sensitive parts of the northwestern and southwestern border areas.
• Significantly accelerating construction of roads in remote hilly areas to improve border patrols.
• Conducting public awareness campaigns in border areas to make the general people allies and informants in the BGB’s fight against border crimes and violations.