Outgoing BGB DG highlights 6 challenges for border guards

The outgoing director general (DG) of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Lt. Gen. Aziz Ahmed, pointed out six challenges for the country’s border guards at a press conference yesterday. These are: stopping killings at the border; setting up barbed wire fences in Bangladesh territory; constructing the roads required for smooth communication; stopping cattle smuggling; stopping trafficking in arms, drugs, and humans; and developing a database of travellers entering and exiting the country.
At a press conference at the headquarters of the paramilitary force at Peelkhana in the city, the outgoing DG also discussed his failure to bring border killings down to zero, stop smuggling of drug and arms, and end human trafficking during his four-year tenure. Apart from these failures, Ahmed claimed that he was successful in all other aspects of his duty in the past four years.
“We can't stop border killings of our citizens unless we manage to stop cattle smuggling across the border. We've to counter the cattle smuggling trend by raising more cattle domestically to meet our demands and end our dependence on India for beef,” he said.
“Unless we erect barbed wire fences along our borders, it'll not be possible to stop cross-border terrorism,” he added.
Ahmed informed reporters that the BGB was planning to set up 284 km of barbed wire fences in the Bangladesh territory of the Indo-Bangla border. “It's difficult for our border guards to maintain vigilance on the frontier without proper roads connecting the borders to the interior[AK2] ,” he added.
“It'd be possible to stop arms smuggling if scanner machines are set up at the borders,” observed the outgoing DG.
Ahmed said that the absence of a traveller database at Integrated Check Posts (ICP) is a big challenge for the border guard, and a database system should be developed for the travellers. He also said that at least 60 BGB sepoys have lost their jobs due to involvement in smuggling, extramarital affairs and other offences in the past four years.
When asked about the Felani murder case, the outgoing DG said: “It's now a judicial matter as someone has filed a writ before the court in this regard.”
Ahmed said that he will hand over charge to the new DG on November 13 and that he will assume charge as General Officer–Commanding (GOC) of Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC) on November 13 or 14 at the army headquarters in Dhaka cantonment.

Outgoing BGB DG highlights 6 challenges for border guards

The outgoing director general (DG) of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Lt. Gen. Aziz Ahmed, pointed out six challenges for the countrys border guards at a press conference yesterday. These are: stopping killings at the border; setting up barbed wire fences in Bangladesh territory; constructing the roads required for smooth communication; stopping cattle smuggling; stopping trafficking in arms, drugs, and humans; and developing a database of travellers entering and exiting the country. At a press conference at the headquarters of the paramilitary force at Peelkhana in the city, the outgoing DG also discussed his failure to bring border killings down to zero, stop smuggling of drug and arms, and end human trafficking during his four-year tenure. Apart from these failures, Ahmed claimed that he was successful in all other aspects of his duty in the past four years. We cant stop border killings of our citizens unless we manage to stop cattle smuggling across the border. Weve to counter the cattle smuggling trend by raising more cattle domestically to meet our demands and end our dependence on India for beef, he said. Unless we erect barbed wire fences along our borders, itll not be possible to stop cross-border terrorism, he added. Ahmed informed reporters that the BGB was planning to set up 284 km of barbed wire fences in the Bangladesh territory of the Indo-Bangla border. Its difficult for our border guards to maintain vigilance on the frontier without proper roads connecting the borders to the interior[AK2] , he added. Itd be possible to stop arms smuggling if scanner machines are set up at the borders, observed the outgoing DG. Ahmed said that the absence of a traveller database at Integrated Check Posts (ICP) is a big challenge for the border guard, and a database system should be developed for the travellers. He also said that at least 60 BGB sepoys have lost their jobs due to involvement in smuggling, extramarital affairs and other offences in the past four years. When asked about the Felani murder case, the outgoing DG said: Its now a judicial matter as someone has filed a writ before the court in this regard. Ahmed said that he will hand over charge to the new DG on November 13 and that he will assume charge as General OfficerCommanding (GOC) of Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC) on November 13 or 14 at the army headquarters in Dhaka cantonment.