✍️ Anupam Pal, Kailashahar
Bangladesh is constructing an earthen road to connect two villages near the Rangauti border, within 75 meters of the international boundary. However, construction was halted after objections from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF). DIG Rajiv Vatsaraj of the Panisagar sector informed the media about this at a press conference held at the BSF’s Tilabazar Camp.
At the press conference on Saturday at 5 PM, he clarified, “The reports circulating on various news and social media platforms claiming that Bangladesh is building a high embankment are incorrect. The government of Bangladesh is constructing an earthen road to connect the villages of Sharifpur, Alinagar, and Sreemantapur on the west bank of the Manu River. This road runs along the riverbank and approaches close to the international boundary, within 75 meters of the Indian village of Rangauti.”
The DIG added that the matter had come to the attention of the authorities during a flag meeting held on November 8 last year, during which the BSF raised objections. Construction was halted at that time.
He also mentioned that during last year’s floods, several parts of the Manu River embankment were damaged. Discussions at a higher level between the river commissions of both countries are ongoing regarding the repair work. Additionally, the District Magistrate of Unakoti District visited the Rangauti border yesterday to assess the situation firsthand and verify whether embankment construction was underway.
Before the press conference, DIG Rajiv Vatsaraj visited various border areas in Kailashahar.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharya issued a statement claiming that the Bangladeshi government was illegally constructing a dam at the zero point of the Kailashahar border. He further stated that Chief Minister Professor Dr. Manik Saha had instructed the District Magistrate of Unakoti and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kailashahar to investigate the matter and submit a report. The Chief Minister has since forwarded the report to the Union Home Minister.
On the other hand, Mohammad Khaled Bin Walid, Executive Engineer of the Moulvibazar Water Development Board, denied any ongoing dam construction. He clarified, “No embankment construction is happening at the moment. The previous floods had damaged parts of the embankment, and the matter has been reported to the river commission. Once approval is received from Delhi, the repair work will commence.”
Reliable sources, however, reported that at a risky stretch of the embankment, about 1 kilometer
