West Bengal government has begun handing over land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for barbed-wire fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

At Nabanna, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari formally initiated the process in the presence of BSF officials.

The Chief Minister accused the previous government of obstructing border security through non-cooperation. He stressed that fencing the border is vital for national and state safety, citing issues such as infiltration, smuggling, counterfeit currency, forced religious conversions, and crimes linked to illegal Bangladeshi entrants.

West Bengal shares nearly 2,200 kilometres of the 4,000-kilometre India-Bangladesh border. While fencing already covers about 1,600 kilometres, 600 kilometres remain unfenced.

Yesterday’s handover includes land for 27 kilometers out of which 18 kms for fencing and 9 kms for BSF outposts and infrastructure. The Chief Minister assured that more land will be transferred soon, with costs fully covered by the central government and BSF.