Temporal Changes of Bordering Practices in the Indo-Bangladesh Border

Abstract

India shares the longest border with Bangladesh. The Indo-Bangladesh border came into existence after India’s partition in 1947 which was finally called the Indo-Bangladesh border after 1971. This border is not carefully managed from its existence. Border management mainly started in 1989. The article discusses the emergence of the Indo-Bangladesh border. It describes the measures taken by the government of India for border management such as border fencing, floodlighting, established border outposts, border roads, etc., and also its present status. The Indo-Bangladesh border has been described as the ‘problem area of tomorrow’ for its cross bordering activities such as illegal immigration, smuggling, trans-border movement of insurgents, etc. The political leaders make different narratives by using these cross bordering practices to further their political agenda.But the actual status of border management and the political narrative is not similar at all the time. This study also discusses the official stand of different political parties.