Change of guard at BSF’s crucial Eastern Command

Kolkata, May 3 The Eastern Command of the Border Security Force (BSF) witnessed a change of guard, with Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal taking over as Additional Director General (ADG).

The change comes at a time when the situation in Bangladesh continues to remain volatile, and the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) is witnessing infiltration attempts.

A report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after the recent communal riots in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal stated that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were part of the mobs that resorted to violence.

The Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of the BSF in the district to control the situation.

The BSF’s Eastern Command is in charge of the International Border (IB) with Bangladesh along the states of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Apart from smuggling, activities such as infiltration and human trafficking are rampant along this border, part of which is riverine and unfenced.

Effective border management is a major challenge, both due to the terrain and the involvement in crime by the border population on both sides.

The handing over of charge to an experienced IPS officer like Aggarwal is being seen by many as an effort to strengthen defences along the border further. He took over from Ravi Gandhi, who has now taken over as ADG (Logistics) at the BSF Headquarters in New Delhi.

“The former ADG did an excellent job during his 14-month tenure. He toured the border extensively and supervised the setting up of new outposts and other installations,” said a senior MHA official.

He added that the former ADG also directed the CPWD to complete fencing of the border as soon as possible, adding that in certain areas, the BSF’s line of domination has also been extended to the zero-line.

“He visited the Murshidabad and Malda districts after the communal strife and took stock of the situation by speaking to the victims and officials of the state. We are sure that the new ADG’s vast experience will come in handy in taking things forward,” the MHA official noted.

Political unrest in Bangladesh has complicated border management and demanded greater vigilance from the BSF in recent months. Aggarwal has previously served as Joint Director of the CBI in Chandigarh. His four-year term as ADG was cleared by the MHA in January.

“Besides countering trans-border crimes and smuggling, there is a need to make perceptible changes in the attitude of the border population towards border management. Particular focus needs to be kept on the youth so that unscrupulous elements do not misguide them towards cross-border crimes,” Aggarwal said in a message soon after assuming charge.

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