KOLKATA: India is considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along its frontier with Bangladesh, the Border Security Force said Wednesday, as New Delhi seeks to stave off unauthorised crossings. Bangladesh is almost entirely encircled by India and the border stretches for more than 4,000 kilometres (2,485 miles), large parts of which are unfenced across delta regions where Himalayan rivers wind toward the sea. Senior Border Security Force officer Manoj Barnwal told AFP that &quot;the use of reptiles&quot; was discussed in a February meeting with the Home Ministry. &quot;We have been asked to explore the feasibility of deploying reptiles such as snakes or crocodiles in vulnerable riverine gaps,&quot; said Barnwal, deputy inspector general of the paramilitary force based in Kolkata, near the border with Bangladesh. &quot;The plan revolves around leveraging natural deterrents like crocodiles and snakes in flood-prone zones, along the unfenced area where traditional fencings are either ineffective or not possible,&quot; he added. The border between India and Bangladesh cuts through the Sundarbans, the world&#39;s largest mangrove forest. &quot;It&#39;s an innovative move, but there are several challenges and it raises safety concerns,&quot; Barnawl said. &quot;How do we procure the reptiles? What impact might it have on the people in the villages sitting along the riverine border?&quot; &quot;We have asked our field units to study the feasibility of the approach and send the report as soon as possible,&quot; he added. Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka soured after a 2024 revolution in Dhaka ended the autocratic rule of the then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India. Bangladesh&#39;s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is in New Delhi on Wednesday -- the most senior envoy from Dhaka to visit since the 2024 uprising -- in a bid to rebuild frosty diplomatic relations. India has constructed border fencing stretching hundreds of kilometres (miles), and arrested scores of Bangladeshis attempting to cross the frontier in the wake of Hasina&#39;s overthrow. The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long taken a hardline stance on immigration, particularly from neighbouring Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Top Indian officials have referred to migrants as &quot;termites&quot; and &quot;infiltrators&quot;. Rights groups have accused India of also pushing hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh without due process.

India

Bangladesh

India is considering using snakes and crocodiles as natural deterrents along unfenced border stretches with Bangladesh, a proposal that highlights worsening ties, migration tensions and serious safety concerns for nearby communities.

India mulls reptile river guards on Bangladesh border

Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan responded with counter-fire after Afghan border forces launched unprovoked artillery shelling into Kurram district on Saturday night, a local police official told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;The official said the incident occurred at around 8:00 p.m., when Afghan forces &ldquo;fired 6&ndash;7 artillery rounds&rdquo; into Upper Kurram in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.&nbsp;Pakistani forces &ldquo;responded with heavy weaponry,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;relative calm had returned&rdquo; by the time authorities assessed the area. &ldquo;It was initiated from the Afghan side,&rdquo; the official confirmed.&nbsp;The exchange comes amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan frontier. Earlier this week, Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office said the security understanding reached in Qatar last month, meant to halt cross-border attacks, was no longer <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-not-to-hold-any-dialogue-with-terrorist-groups-foreign-office" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">functioning</a>.&nbsp;Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters during his Friday press briefing that the arrangement &ldquo;was never a conventional ceasefire,&rdquo; but a commitment that Afghan soil would not be used for attacks inside Pakistan.&nbsp;&ldquo;Interpreting it in that sense, the ceasefire is not holding,&rdquo; he said, citing recent assaults involving Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK), and Afghan nationals. He added that continued incidents, including an attack in Islamabad, had eroded Pakistan&rsquo;s confidence in the mechanism.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s military has also raised concerns over cross-border facilitation of militants. During a November 25 briefing, military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Afghan forces &ldquo;routinely open fire on Pakistani border posts&rdquo; to <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghan-regime-now-a-threat-to-regional-security-says-pakistan-military" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">divert</a> attention and enable militant infiltration.&nbsp;He noted that large stretches of the Afghan side lack functional governance, allowing hostile groups to exploit gaps between border posts.&nbsp;Chaudhry said the difficult terrain, divided tribal communities, and distance between Pakistani posts and the frontier further complicate border control. Despite fencing and surveillance, he added, the porous environment and limited law-enforcement presence on the Afghan side continue to create vulnerabilities exploited by militant elements.

Security

Afghan forces fired artillery into Upper Kurram Saturday night, prompting Pakistani retaliation, police said. Calm later returned amid ongoing concerns over cross-border attacks and militant infiltration.

Articles tagged with "Border"

India mulls reptile river guards on Bangladesh border

Pakistan retaliates after Afghan forces fire unprovoked border shells: police

India mulls reptile river guards on Bangladesh border