Over 2,600 Bangladeshi nationals arrested at Indo-Bangladesh border in 2024: Minister Nityanand Rai

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, stated that 2,601 Bangladeshi citizens were apprehended along the Indo-Bangladesh border between January 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025.

The government has significantly bolstered border security through advanced surveillance technologies, increased manpower, and operational enhancements. Key measures include the deployment of Hand-Held Thermal Imagers (HHTI), Night Vision Devices (NVDs), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), CCTV/PTZ cameras, and Infrared (IR) sensors. Additionally, a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) pilot project has been implemented in Dhubri, Assam.

Operational strategies involve round-the-clock patrolling, security checkpoints (nakas), observation posts, and joint operations with local police and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Illumination of border areas has been enhanced with floodlights and solar-powered lighting, while riverine stretches are patrolled using boats and floating Border Outposts (BOPs).

Further fortifying border security, the government has strengthened intelligence networks to track human trafficking facilitators, upgraded fencing in vulnerable regions, and engaged local communities through outreach programs. The deployment of dog squads, extensive vehicle patrolling, and 15 BSF-led Anti-Human Trafficking Units further reinforces these efforts.