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Although the government on principle had taken the decision to take control over the unprotected border areas and deploy BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) members there five years back, the decision is yet to be implemented, reports BDNEWS.
Sources said that 60 kilometre area of the Sundarbans and about 500 kilometre border area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) remain unprotected.
Bangladesh has no effective control over the areas, as the decision of deploying BDR in those areas has not yet been implemented.
Bangladesh has about 4,000 kilometres of common border with India. Among these, BDR has never been deployed on 479 kilometre demarcated border areas of Khagrachhari and Banderban and 60 kilometre demarcated border areas of the Sundarbans.
On the other hand, India has been complaining that the separatist militant groups have been carrying out their activities in those areas. But Bangladesh has been denying such allegations.
Home Ministry sources said that since the army is engaged in an armed conflict with the tribal militants for more than two decades, no other security agency except the army was deployed there.
The army personnel have been returning to cantonment in phases after the signing of CHT peace agreement.
Sources concerned said that it is necessary to implement the decision of deploying BDR permanently in the unprotected areas of two hill districts and the Sundarbans, which was decided by the government in 2000.
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