Residents of border areas stage stir against curbs imposed by BSF

cooch behar: Residents of India-Bangladesh border areas protested in front of the Cooch Behar District Magistrate’s office on Thursday and submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate. They have threatened to beef up the agitation if their problems are not addressed immediately. The issues were primarily relating to restrictions imposed by the Border Security Force (BSF) in the border areas.

Cooch Behar district in the northern part of Bengal shares a 549.45 km-long border with Bangladesh, guarded by the BSF on the Indian side. The border residents claim that they have been suffering from various problems for a long time. The protesters added that despite having brought these issues to the notice of the district administration, no action has been taken.

Residents of the border areas mainly earn their livelihood by engaging in farming. Owing to the barbed wire fence in the border area, they are not able to cultivate their land properly. Behind the wire fencing, they have to follow BSF rules.They have been given a specific time for entering and exiting the fields through the BSF checkpoints. The same rule applies for those whose houses are located inside the fencing. As a result, they face various problems in leading a normal life.