The escalating situation along the India-Pakistan border has prompted the Border Security Force (BSF) to sound an alert in some of the areas in Jalpaiguri district, which are close to the Bangladesh border.

On Thursday, the BSF made public announcements, asking residents living in the South Berubari panchayat of Jalpaiguri Sadar block to get into their homes by 7pm and not move outside other than in emergencies.

“The BSF has made announcements, and the villagers are in their homes. Also, the patrolling of BSF troops has intensified in the entire area. We are on alert,” said Sumita Deb Adhikari, the chief of South Berurbari panchayat.

In Jalpaiguri, South Berubari shares the border with Bangladesh, and a 19 km-long stretch is unfenced.

Earlier on Thursday, Shri Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, the additional director general of the BSF’s eastern command, visited some of the forward areas along the Bangladesh border in north Bengal.

Accompanied by Mukesh Tyagi, the inspector general of BSF’s north Bengal frontier, Aggarwal discussed the operational and administrative challenges with officers and directed troops to be extra vigilant during the present security situation along the zero-line to thwart any attempt at trans-border crimes.

He visited the Teen Bigha corridor in Cooch Behar and reviewed the surveillance in the riverine area of Teesta River and the Dahagram-Angarpota enclave that is connected through the corridor, sources said.