No Man's Land: Along Bengal's 100 Km-Long Unfenced Border With Bangladesh, Locals Plead For Barbed Wires

Jalpaiguri: Along India's open border with Bangladesh in North Bengal, men claim they spend sleepless nights in their cowsheds to guard their cattle, while women tremble with insecurity, as miscreants from across the border unleash havoc in their hamlets in the darkness of night. On the eve of the 2026 Assembly elections, they have just one, earnest plea: Regardless of which party forms the government in the state, they must install barbed-wire fencing along the border with speed.

During his election campaign visits, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly emphasised the need to halt infiltration. He alleges that the only reason the erection of border fencing is delayed is the lack of cooperation from the state government. That, inevitably, fetches a strong counter from the ruling party in the state, Trinamool Congress (TMC), which claims Bangladeshi miscreants wouldn't dare to unleash such violence along the border without the tacit support of the BSF (Border Security Force), which reports to the Home Minister.

All Along The Watchtower

The BSF oversees the security of five districts in North Bengal — Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and North and South Dinajpur — that border Bangladesh. Its North Bengal Frontier unit covers a stretch of 936.4 km along this border, of which 879.074 km is over land, while around 53 km is over rivers and water bodies. A stretch of over 100 km of this sector currently lacks barbed-wire fencing.

In several locations, the presence of rivers and water bodies makes the installation of fencing infeasible, while allegations persist that in certain areas, the erection of barbed wire fencing is being hindered by land acquisition disputes.

Sachin Shil, a resident of Maringadanga under the South Berubari Gram Panchayat in Jalpaiguri district, said: “We want barbed-wire fencing to be erected along this open border. Our security must be guaranteed. Whichever party comes to power, they must ensure that fencing is put in place. Miscreants from Bangladesh smuggle cattle herds along this route, and in the process, destroy our standing crops.”

Tulsi Sharma, another local, says, “Out here, people from Bangladesh cross over regularly. Sometimes, the BSF apprehends them, but often they fail to do so. We live in constant fear, never knowing when some mishap might occur. We want security. We are asking for a barbed wire fence.”

Another resident, Sunirmal Roy, complains, “Out of fear that our cattle might be stolen, we sleep inside our cowsheds at night. Under the cover of darkness, miscreants cross over from Bangladesh and drive cattle right across our fields. We have put up bamboo fences, but we want a barbed-wire fence to protect our crops.”

According to Bablu Roy, another border resident in Jalpaiguri district, “The BSF has erected fences in a few specific locations to deter cattle movement. It would have been much more beneficial for us had this fencing been installed right at the 'Zero Point' of the border. Nevertheless, the fencing has significantly reduced cattle smuggling over the past few days, reducing the back and forth of the miscreants. We want an end to the harassment inflicted on us by Bangladeshis. We have just one plea to the government: Ensure our security.”

A Battlefield Of Narratives

Udayan Guha, the Minister for North Bengal Development and the TMC candidate for the Dinhata Assembly constituency, said, “Sections of the border that remain open are primarily riverine. Also, in places where barbed-wire fencing does exist, how is cattle smuggling possible? Cows aren't small packages that can be tossed across the border. They have to walk across. It isn't just 1-2 cows; large herds are being moved. None of this could happen without the complicity of the BSF.”

From across the political divide, Nisith Pramanik, the former Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs and the BJP candidate for the Mathabhanga constituency in Cooch Behar district, asserts, “There are frequent attacks by miscreants from Bangladesh across open stretches of the border. The Central government has repeatedly sent letters to [Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee and the Chief Secretary regarding this issue. I myself sent letters as MoS. The Home Minister has sent upto 17 letters. Yet, nothing has come of it. Land is a state subject; the Centre can't directly acquire land. That would be unconstitutional.”

He added, “The state is not acquiring land along the border to accommodate specific individuals. I have conducted an on-the-spot inspection, and spoke with landowners. They are willing, in fact, eager, to hand over their land, as they are anyway unable to carry out farming activities along the border.”

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