High alert across Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal

Kolkata, Aug 5 (PTI) The Indo-Bangladesh border region in West Bengal has been put on high alert on Monday following the ongoing unrest in the neighbouring country, officials said.

According to BSF sources, a "high alert" has been issued across all its formations along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in the wake of developments in the neighbouring country.

“We are keeping a close tab on the movement in the bordering areas so that no untoward incident takes place,” a BSF official said.

BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders toured some of the border areas in West Bengal to review the security situation.

Chawdhary visited boundary regions in North 24 Parganas district and the Sundarbans riverine area to review preparations, a spokesperson for the South Bengal Frontier of the force headquartered in Kolkata said.

According to state government officials, the police have also been instructed to keep a close tab on the movement in the bordering areas.

"Steps need to be taken to stop any form of provocation here using incidents in Bangladesh," an official said.

Petrapole, located in Bongaon in North 24 Parganas district, serves as South Asia's largest land port and is crucial in facilitating trade between India and Bangladesh, with hundreds of trucks crossing daily under normal circumstances, witnessed increased BSF patrolling in the area.

West Bengal shares a total of 2,217 kilometres of its border with Bangladesh. PTI PNT NN