Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) in South Dinajpur, a district which has a 285km stretch of border with Bangladesh, are holding meetings with elected representatives of villages which are near the frontier and local residents to prevent cross-border crimes.

“We are having meetings with members of panchayats and other rural bodies. They have been asked to be on alert and inform the police in case they find anything suspicious. They have been told to call up the police control room to share any information that can help uphold law and order along the international border,” said Chinmay Mittal, the superintendent of police, South Dinajpur.

Around 30km of the border is unfenced in the district. In these locations, the BSF is using drones and CCTV cameras for round-the-clock monitoring and to prevent illegal activities like infiltration and other crimes. Also, additional personnel have been deployed in these areas,” said a source.

On Tuesday, the BSF intercepted a woman and her minor child as she tried to infiltrate into Bangladesh through the border in Madhabpur that is under the jurisdiction of Patiram police station.

On Tuesday, BSF and police officials held meetings in Amritakhanda and Chingispur panchayats of Balurghat block. Both the panchayats share borders with Bangladesh.

Sources in the state intelligence agencies said there are instances of smuggling and infiltration through the India-Bangladesh border in South Dinajpur.

As the Centre launched Operation Sindoor against the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a crackdown on Pakistani and Bangladeshi infiltrators has started in the Indian states. This has made the Bangladeshis, who had illegally entered India and were staying here, hurriedly return to their country.

A senior official of the BSF said the meeting with elected representatives and villagers is an important exercise in the present situation.

“They can be our eyes and ears and can help us to prevent illegal activities at the borders. Our personnel have been asked to maintain regular contact with residents of the bordering areas to gather information,” he said.

That the BSF is strongly focusing on the Indo-Bangla border is evident as senior officials of the central security force are visiting bordering areas of states like Bengal and Assam.

Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, the additional director general of BSF’s eastern command, reached Assam on Tuesday and reviewed the current security scenario at the border. He met senior officers of the Guwahati frontier of BSF which also covers a portion of the Cooch Behar district in Bengal, and was apprised about the current security arrangements and operational preparedness along the international boundary.

A few days ago, Aggarwal had visited north Bengal and had been to some of the frontier areas.