Bangladesh on Saturday set up a floating border outpost in the Sundarban area in southwestern frontier with India to carry out patrol and enforce surveillance through waterways.

The floating border outpost (BOP) was set up by the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at the confluence of Roymongol river and Boyesing canal under Shyamnagar upazila or sub-district of Satkhira, about 300 kms southwest of Dhaka.

Home affairs adviser of the interim government (Retd) Lt Gen Jahangir Alam Chowdhury opened the installation with officials saying this was BGB’s third such floating BOP to carry on patrol and enforce surveillance through waterways operated by a riverine unit of the border guards.

“Maintaining security and patrols in the vast wetland and riverine border areas is challenging. This floating BOP will help BGB ensure immediate and effective responses to prevent smuggling, human trafficking, forest resource looting, and other border crimes,” Chowdhury said at the ceremony.

The floating BOP was built at the Narayanganj dockyard.

Chowdhury said Bangladesh and India have a total border of 4,156 kms, which includes about 180 kms of riverine boundary, and 79 kms is in the Sundarbans.

BGB chief Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui and senior officials were also present at the opening ceremony.

Siddiqui said a large syndicate was involved in smuggling in the Boyesing canal for a long time requiring establishment of the third floating BOP to prevent such activities.

The first floating BOP was set up in Sundarban’s Kachhikata area in 2013, and the second one was set up at the confluence of the Roymongol River and Atharobeki canal 2017.

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