The Bangladeshi government has decided to strengthen it's border troops, inducting more officers, with sophisticated heavy weapons in the wake of India's decision to reinforce its border guards BSF (Border Security Force) with 5, 000 men to face any situation created by the Indian side.

Shahinoor Mia, spokesman of the Home Ministry, said here on Monday that the government has decided to purchase 215 anti-tank guns and create 989 more new posts in the paramilitary border troops BDR (Bangladesh Rifles), because the border troops of both the South Asian countries fight very often along the 4,000 km frontiers.

BDR chief Major General Jahangir Alom Chowdhury earlier said that over 300 civilians and frontier troops of Bangladesh are killed by the Indian side annually. The Indian side also claimed that almost equal number of Indian nationals and troops are killed by BDR.

The spokesman said a high-level committee approved the proposal of the Home Ministry on purchasing the guns and creating new posts.

"The urgent need for increasing BDR's manpower and equipping them with modern weapons to increase the ability to deal with armed smugglers and militant outfits has been recognized by the government in view of the current situation. Anti-tank guns are being bought to meet any exigency and deal effectively with armed smugglers and Islamic militants which can take on security forces if the latter are not adequately armed," Shahinoor Mia said.

The government move also aimed at stopping the cross border smuggling between the two countries, the spokesman said, adding that the cross-border smuggling is biting the Bangladeshi economy as according to different research report the unofficial trade from India surpasses the official figure.

In recent months, some unhappy incidents took place in some areas of the borders and the members of BDR could not tackle the situation due to the lack of modern weapons, which prompted the government to buy the weapons to strengthen the 45 battalion BDR, the official said.

Meanwhile, New Delhi has decided to establish five new battalions to Indian BSF to boost its ongoing anti-infiltration drive, local daily The Independent reported on Monday.

According to the daily, the Indian decision followed the intelligence reports that there would be more Islamic terrorists infiltration from Bangladesh.

Under the establishment of five new battalions, more than 5,000 BSF men would be deployed along the Bangladesh border with India for round-the-clock check to stop any terrorist infiltration, the daily said.

Source: Xinhua