Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that the government has initiated plans to build barbed-wire fences along the Myanmar border and is considering similar measures at sensitive points along the India border. The move aims to curb border killings, illegal crossings, and transnational crimes. The minister said the Border Guard Bangladesh is implementing coordinated actions to strengthen national security and reduce border crimes to zero.

Experts cited in the report explained that international law does not prohibit sovereign states from constructing border structures for security or migration control, though bilateral agreements may set specific conditions. The 1974 India-Bangladesh treaty restricts defense installations within 150 yards of the zero line. Professor Shahab Enam Khan said fencing is within Bangladesh’s rights and justified by national security concerns, while former ambassador Munshi Faiz viewed it as a sign of mutual distrust.

Observers emphasized that technological surveillance using drones and artificial intelligence could be more effective and less controversial than physical barriers. The government has already approved major border road projects and begun installing smart surveillance systems in sensitive areas.