For the first time, India to fence 90km of Sundarbans border with BD due to national security reasons
In a Nutshell:
- India will fence about 90 kilometres of Sundarbans border with Bangladesh for the first time.
- Locals worry about losing land, but government promises compensation and rehabilitation.
- BSF says fencing is needed for national security and work will start soon.
Why it Matters
This is the first time India is building a barrier through Sundarbans, ending decades of open riverine border secured only by outposts. This move comes after BJP took power in West Bengal in May, and lands at a time of already strained Bangladesh-India ties, adding an obstacle along a border long managed through patrols. Fencing through a protected wildlife sanctuary also raises fresh environmental and legal questions on 71 kilometres of the route.
What We Think
A first ever fence through Sundarbans, right after a power change in West Bengal, is much political as it is security driven, and will likely deepen mistrust at an already tense moment in relations. Locals losing land for a barrier they never asked for, plus hotels facing possible relocation, show security priorities are landing hardest on ordinary border communities.
