Bangladesh agrees to allow India to erect barbed wire fencing

Bangladesh has agreed to allow India to erect barbed wire fencing on the zero line in some slected places but turned down India's proposal to construct the fencing in entirety, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar told the state assembly today.

Replying to a question asked by opposition Congress member, Gopal Roy, if the state government had asked the Central government to take up with Bangladesh so that fencing could be constructed on the zero line, the chief minister said the neighbouring country had agreed to allow India to erect barbed wire fencing on the zero line in some selected places only.

To adhere to India-Mujib pact and guidelines formulated in 1975 for border management, India constructed fencing 150 yards away from the zero line to check smuggling, illegal migration and cross border movement of Indian insurgents.

The Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister, said many district and subdivisional towns, markets, Agartala airport have fallen within 150 yards of the Indo-Bangla international border.

He said at least 50,000 people of 8,750 families were affected as their agricultural and homestead lands fell onother side of the fencing.