Over 1,200 prisoners, including terrorists, have escaped from jails in Bangladesh amid the recent political unrest. This development has raised significant security concerns for India, as intelligence agencies have warned that some of these escapees may attempt to cross the border.
The resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following widespread protests and violence triggered a wave of jailbreaks and a weakening of border security, as many Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officers were redeployed to maintain order in cities.
To address the heightened security risks, border forces of both countries have opened communication channels at various levels. Information is being exchanged in real-time between the Border Security Force (BSF) and BGB to track the movement of escaped convicts and prevent infiltration into India.
BSF officials have confirmed receiving information from the BGB about prisoners escaping from five jails and emphasized that the current government directive is to deny entry to anyone attempting to cross the border illegally.
Concerns have also been raised about the possibility of escaped criminals and terrorists attempting to sell their weapons in India.
The BSF has increased its deployment along the 4096-km-long border, while the BGB presence has decreased due to redeployment within Bangladesh.
The situation is further complicated by reports of police personnel and Awami League supporters fleeing Bangladesh, potentially adding to the number of people trying to seek refuge in India.
Several instances of attempted infiltration have already been reported, including one incident where two Awami League politicians were detained by the BGB while attempting to enter India on fake documents.
