All categories of leaves for all Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on the western and eastern commands, irrespective of their station, have been cancelled with effect from May 7, the day cross-border hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan.
BSF headquarter-issued memos and crash messages accessed by Northeast News clearly state that in accordance with orders issued by “competent authorities” the “leaves of all personnel have been cancelled with immediate effect”.
Additionally, BSF officers and soldiers on leave have been ordered to report back to their “respective HQRS/units without delay”. Besides, commanding officers of all battalions deployed on the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh border have been ordered to “ensure compliance” of this directive on leaves.
Home Ministry sources said that since the BSF troops form the first line of defence along the international borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan, a decision has been taken to strengthen these two frontiers by dispatching personnel from areas where they are engaged in disaster management (four battalions) and internal security (12 battalions).
Meanwhile, security agencies reported that anti-India mobilisation was being aimed at some sections of the primarily students-led National Citizens Party focused on the issue of proscribing the Awami League as a political party.
The total number of BSF battalions stationed on the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh stands at 195 with plans to induct 16 news ones in the months to come. Of these, about 90 are on the western frontier (3,323 km) – with some presence (eight battalions) along the Line of Control – and about 87 battalions on the eastern and northeastern sector (4,096 km).
Home Ministry sources said that the “high level of alertness” on the part of the BSF, on the entire eastern frontier, has caused the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) to also enhance its security “even though the BSF’s move is purely defensive at this point in time”.
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Speaking to Northeast News, former BSF Additional Director General and security analyst S K Sood said, “The force is on high alert in view of the war- like situation in the western sector. The BSF, while taking effective counter measures against such indiscriminate firing by Pakistan, has ensured that militants are not able to take advantage and infiltrate”.
Sood said that “aggressive domination and effective coordination” resulted in foiling a major “infiltration” bid in Samba area of Jammu sector and neutralisation of seven terrorists.
In the context of the India-Bangladesh border, Sood said “it is important to continue the BSF’s aggressive posture because of the situation in Bangladesh and the possibility that the porous border might be exploited by anti-India elements”.
