BSF Rolls Out Body‑Worn Cameras for Personnel on Indo‑Bangladesh Border

People familiar with the development said, the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) would not have the option to refute these videos later, as the BSF has armed its officers at the Indo-Bangladesh border with body worn cameras (BWCs) which they use to memorise those times when they arrest and pushback illegal immigrants, activities of smugglers, and situations where there is some disagreement or attack on their patrolling teams.

The first lot of 2500 BWCs-small battery operated digital video cameras that have night-recording facility and would be attached to the shirt of uniform or winter jackets of the jawans- has been already handed over to the BSF bordermen and another 2500 would be despatched in the coming weeks, officers said.

“A decision to use body-worn cameras was taken particularly in the wake of increasing attacks by drug smugglers or anti-national elements and skirmishes with human traffickers or individuals looking to enter India illegally who then allege use of excess force by BSF. They will help improve officers’ safety, having electronic evidence, record stop and frisk procedures of patrolling units, and help reduce complaints by individuals and BGB at the border,” said an officer.

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The data accessed by HT in the border guarding force indicates that in 2024, 77 attacks by criminals on BSF jawans occurred along the Indo-Bangladesh border but this year till June 30, 35 such attacks have been realized.

In addition, the number of attempts of unauthorised people to cross into India or fly to Bangladesh has been also rising in the previous two years. As an illustration, BSF detained 2,425 inwards and 1,049 outwards as well as 2024 at the Indo Bangla boundary, and the present focus is on 14 January-15 July, 2015, as compared to - 1,372 (incoming) and 3,536 (outgoing).

BWCs are deployed in the day to day operations of police and border control agencies in a number of countries such as the US Customs and Border Patrol, the Metropolitan Police of the UK, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Canada, Police of Germany and France among others.

In addition to the BWCs, in order to have a formidable data on illegal immigrants as well as immediate identification thereof, BSF has also put at its sensitive posts the so-called systems of biometrics authentication - which is interconnnected with the Foreigners identification portal (FIP) of the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), another third officer mentioned above said. “This is aimed at keeping records of illegal immigrants for future, so that they don’t make another attempt (s),” he said.

The third officer further added that within the past couple of months, more than a 2500 illegal Bangladesh nationals have been deported through different crossings along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

In the recent director generals (DGs) level talks of BSF and BGB held in Delhi in the end of February 17-20 this year, BSF had indicated to the other half the offence or maltreatment against BSF troops or Indian natives by the Bangladesh based bad boys or ruffians. According to a statement released by BSF in February, both the sides agreed to conduct joint operations in order to reduce such instances to an absolute minimum by either enhancing joint patrols particularly late nights to early mornings in vulnerable sectors or by educating the border populace about the sanctity of the international border.

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Decisions were taken as well that both BSF and BGB will ensure tracking and providing live-time data and inquiry reports of traffickers and keep an extra eye to reduce such criminal activities, and support victims of human trafficking and enable their quick relief and commission of punishment as ruled by the law of the land.

“The BWCs are a precautionary measure in that direction and to avoid any untoward incident (s),” he said.

India has a 4096 km long border with Bangladesh and it borders West Bengal (2216.7), Assam (263), Meghalaya (443), Tripura (856) and Mizoram (318) km. Entire stretch is composed of plains, riverine belts, hills and jungles; they are densely populated and cultivated to the border. On the whole border to prevent the activities of trans-border crimes and infiltration by criminals, infiltrators and the hostile elements to indulge in the acts of intrusion/encroachment and the violations of the International Border, there are 1,113 Border Out Posts of the BSF.

BSF has round the clock surveillance, patrol and monitoring by means of observation posts in addition to domination of riverine areas by means of border floodlighting, water crafts/boats and floating Border Out Posts (BOPs).

The first officer observes that one of the main challenges at this border is, its terrain. “Construction of fencing in certain stretches on this border due to riverine or low lying areas, habitations close to the border, and floods during monsoons makes it difficult to fence the entire border. Out of 4,096 kms long border, only 3,196 kms is fenced. The over 850-km-long border is not feasible to be fenced,” he said.

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