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Published : 20 Jan 2025, 03:17 PM
The government has approved the supplying of tear gas and sound grenades to Border Guard Bangladesh as a new defensive measure.
Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the decision had been finalised at an advisory council meeting on law enforcement on Monday.
Jahangir said, “Lethal weapons are always available at the border. BGB didn’t use sound grenades or tear gas as they did not have them.”
"The BGB only has lethal weapons. That's why they couldn't use them. That's why we have given permission for them to purchase them very soon.”
He said, “They [India’s BSF] have lethal weapons. They have them [sound grenades, tear gas] in Chapainawabganj but we don't have them. That's why permission was granted to buy them."
Asked whether lethal weapons will be given to the BGB, the home affairs advisor said, "Lethal weapons are given to them. When lethal weapons are needed… would you ask the army whether they can use lethal weapons during a time of war?”
“You have to use them when war breaks out. Circumstances dictate what should be used when.”
Asked how India will see the decision on tear gas and sound grenades, Jahangir said: “India has sound grenades. They have no scope to take it badly.”
In response to a question about Indian allegations of Bangladeshi provocations at the border, the advisor said: “They have complained that we are provoking them. We have complained that they have provoked us. That is the situation at the border.”
However, he added that: “The situation on the border is largely stable, there is no major problem.”
Asked about border agreements with India under the previous government, the home advisor said that the unequal nature of these agreements would be brought up at a director general level next month.
Jahangir also said: “Many people are living illegally in our country after their visas have expired. Our official count of illegal immigrants was 59,226. Now it has started to fall, coming down to 33,648. The deadline for legalising them will end on Jan 31. After Jan 31, we will take legal action against them.”
He said that action will not only be taken against them, but also against those who have arranged for them to work without the government's permission.
