The newly elected Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, has decided to hand over the necessary land to India’s Border Security Force (BSF) within 45 days for the construction of barbed-wire fencing along the Bangladesh- India border. Responding to a question on the matter, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that ensuring border security is their priority, and India views this decision from that perspective.
Jaiswal made the remarks today, Tuesday, during the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ weekly briefing in New Delhi. However, he declined to comment on whether the West Bengal chief minister’s decision would affect Bangladesh–India bilateral relations.
The first cabinet meeting of West Bengal’s BJP government under Suvendu Adhikari was held yesterday, Monday. After the meeting, he announced that his government would hand over land to the BSF within 45 days for constructing barbed-wire fencing along the international border with Bangladesh.
Responding to a question on the issue yesterday, Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir told journalists that Bangladesh could no longer be intimidated with barbed wire. He said neither the people nor the government of Bangladesh feared such fencing.
At today’s briefing in New Delhi, a journalist referred to remarks by Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, who said the government maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding Bangladeshi citizens illegally entering other countries. The journalist asked whether this policy should also apply to India, in light of comments by her about some citizens migrating to Europe.
Randhir Jaiswal did not directly answer that question either. He said illegal infiltration was among the issues regularly discussed with Bangladesh. He added that India had long ago requested Bangladesh to verify the citizenship of more than 2,860 people residing illegally in India. India believes they are all Bangladeshi nationals, but Bangladesh has yet to respond on the matter.
The Teesta development project also came up during the briefing. A journalist referred to reports that Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, during a recent visit to China, had requested Chinese involvement in the Teesta development project. The journalist asked whether such a decision — reversing the previous Bangladeshi government’s position that India should oversee the project — undermined mutual trust.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal did not directly respond to that question either. He said India closely monitors developments anywhere in the world, including this matter. He added that mutual interests remain the priority in India’s relations with neighboring countries.
Responding to another question about reports that the West Bengal election results had generated varied reactions in some circles in Bangladesh, Jaiswal said, “We have already indicated that India wants to make bilateral relations positive. We want to view them positively. That approach has not changed.”