Meghalaya govt steps up border vigil as infiltration attempts rise

Shillong, Sep 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) A high-level meeting involving the Meghalaya government, police and the Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday reviewed the security situation along the international border with Bangladesh, with authorities calling for intensified ground-level surveillance to check infiltration attempts.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said authorities were detecting attempts to cross into Meghalaya from Bangladesh "almost every day", underscoring the ongoing challenge for security agencies deployed along the 443-km international border.

The meeting focused on strengthening coordination between the civil administration, police and BSF and improving surveillance in vulnerable stretches of the border.

Tynsong said difficult terrain and stretches where fencing remains incomplete or absent were among the major challenges confronting the security forces, particularly in parts of East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts.

He directed the agencies concerned to intensify vigilance and ensure greater surveillance of vulnerable areas, particularly those located close to the international boundary.

The Deputy Chief Minister said Village Defence Parties (VDPs) had been activated in border villages to supplement security agencies' efforts. The administration is also working with traditional heads in the border areas to strengthen local surveillance and ensure that suspicious movements are promptly reported.

Meghalaya shares a 443-km border with Bangladesh, much of it passing through hilly, forested and difficult terrain. These conditions pose operational challenges for fencing, patrolling, and round-the-clock surveillance.

In recent years, infiltration and movement across the porous stretches of the border have remained a security and administrative concern for Meghalaya. Authorities have repeatedly stressed the need for stronger coordination between the BSF, state police and local communities to identify vulnerable routes and prevent unauthorised crossings.

The border issue has also assumed greater significance amid concerns over illegal migration and cross-border movement from Bangladesh. Security agencies have maintained heightened vigilance at vulnerable locations and coordinated with the state administration to detect and prevent unauthorised entry.

The latest meeting comes against this backdrop, with the Meghalaya government seeking to strengthen the multi-layered security mechanism along the frontier.

Tynsong emphasised that local participation would be crucial in strengthening surveillance, particularly in areas where difficult terrain and gaps in fencing make conventional border monitoring challenging.

Source: IANS