Amid rising regional tensions, a remarkable shift is unfolding along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, where, for the first time in nearly half a century, villagers living along the unfenced stretches are voluntarily offering their land for border fencing—a powerful gesture of patriotism and urgency.
“Spurred by instability in Bangladesh and renewed hostilities with Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, these residents are setting aside long-held land concerns to demand swift action in securing the international boundary. Their readiness to part with ancestral land underscores a collective resolve—national security must come first,” said a BSF official.
Since August last year, a high alert has been in effect along the India-Bangladesh border following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. New Delhi’s strained relations with Dhaka have heightened anxieties, particularly in regions where the border remains unfenced due to unavailability of land. Fears of cross-border infiltration by Bangladeshi miscreants have only grown amid the political vacuum across the border.
Now, in the wake of India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, anxiety among border residents has intensified.
People in villages from Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar to Dinajpur and Malda are calling for the immediate erection of barbed wire fencing to ensure safety and prevent potential misuse of the border during conflict.
“In Dakshin Berubari Gram Panchayat, a hotspot in the Jalpaiguri sector, this urgency is being met with decisive local action. Out of the 19 kilometres of open, unfenced border, 11 kilometres have already received local consent for fencing,” said the official.
Residents of Daikhata, Manikganj, Burirjot, Pathanpara, and Santalpara have agreed to part with land for national security. Officials expect consent for the remaining stretch to be secured this month.
Also read: Bengal farmer returns after month-long ordeal in Bangladesh
“We’ve been advocating for fencing for years,” said Sarada Prasad Das, member of the India-Bangladesh Border Defence Committee.
He added, “With increasing radical propaganda across the border and the recent India-Pakistan tensions, the border cannot remain exposed. The government must compensate families and expedite construction.”
Block Development Officer (BDO) Mihir Karmakar of Jalpaiguri Sadar confirmed the progress: “We’ve conducted multiple meetings with the BSF and villagers. People are now actively giving consent. Nearly all groundwork has been completed in the past four months. Full land acquisition is expected by next week.”
Former Jalpaiguri MLA Govinda Roy, himself a resident of the border, echoed the concerns: “We fear that terror elements could use Bangladeshi soil to strike India. The delay in fencing is unacceptable. The locals have given land, but compensation remains pending.”
Voices from the ground further highlight the urgency. Deepak Roy of Dakshin Berubari said, “We’ve done our part. The government should do theirs. We need that fence—urgently.”
The BSF, too, has confirmed the positive shift in local sentiment. DIG PK Singh of the BSF's Siliguri division said, “People are now cooperating wholeheartedly. They understand the threat. With administrative coordination, fencing work will begin very soon.”
Follow us
