Bengal hands over 27 km of border land to BSF for Bangladesh fencing
Synopsis
West Bengal's new government has broken a long-standing impasse by handing over 27 kilometres of border land to the BSF on day one — with a two-week deadline to complete the full transfer needed to fence 600 kilometres of unfenced Bangladesh frontier. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also reversed the previous government's policy of not handing over arrested illegal infiltrators to the BSF, signalling a sharp shift in the state's border security posture.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal handed over 27 kilometres of border land to the BSF on 20 May 2025 for fencing along the Bangladesh border.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the full land transfer will be completed within two weeks .
Of West Bengal's 2,000+ km Bangladesh border, around 600 kilometres remain unfenced; at least 555 km could have been transferred earlier, according to Adhikari.
The Union government will provide compensation for the land handed over to the BSF.
Arrested illegal infiltrators will henceforth be immediately handed over to the BSF — a reversal of the previous government's policy, excluding those in the CAA process.
The West Bengal government on Wednesday, 20 May formally began transferring land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for erecting fencing along unfenced stretches of the state's border with Bangladesh. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed that 27 kilometres of land was officially handed over in the first tranche, with the full transfer expected to be completed within two weeks.
Key Developments
Speaking at the state secretariat in Kolkata, Chief Minister Adhikari described Wednesday's handover as 'just the beginning.' He said coordination meetings between the BSF and state government officials have been held regularly since the new government assumed office, and that such meetings would continue going forward.
'The official handover of 27 kilometres of land today to the Border Security Force is just the beginning of the process. The entire process is expected to be completed within the next two weeks because of the cooperation from the patriotic people of West Bengal and efficient functioning by the extremely skilled and talented state government officials,' Adhikari said.
He confirmed that the Union government will provide compensation for the land being transferred.
The Border Geography
India's total international border with Bangladesh stretches a little over 4,000 kilometres, of which a little over 2,000 kilometres fall within West Bengal. Of that West Bengal stretch, approximately 1,600 kilometres already has barbed-wire fencing in place, leaving around 600 kilometres unfenced. According to Adhikari, at least 555 kilometres of that unfenced land could have been handed over to the BSF by the previous government but was deliberately withheld.
Charge Against the Previous Government
Chief Minister Adhikari levelled pointed criticism at the administration of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleging that the land transfer was blocked to serve what he called 'the narrow agenda of appeasement politics.' He also alleged that the previous state government had repeatedly refused Union government requests to hand over arrested illegal infiltrators to the BSF — a practice he said has now been reversed.
'Henceforth, illegal infiltrators arrested in the state by the state police will be immediately handed over to the Border Security Force,' Adhikari stated, adding that this new protocol would not apply to individuals covered under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) process.
Infiltration and Law and Order Concerns
The Chief Minister also alleged that illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh had been linked to a range of law and order offences in the state, including crimes against women and forced conversions. These claims were not independently verified at the time of reporting.
What Comes Next
With 27 kilometres transferred on day one, the state government has set a two-week deadline to complete the handover of all land required for the fencing project. The BSF is expected to begin fencing work once the full transfer is in place. The move marks a significant policy shift for West Bengal on border management, and will be closely watched by both the Centre and security analysts tracking the India-Bangladesh frontier.
Point of View
But the political framing matters as much as the act itself. Adhikari's pointed attack on Mamata Banerjee's border record is as much an electoral statement as a security one — the BJP-led state government is signalling a clean break from TMC's approach to the Centre-state relationship on border management. The real test is execution: 27 kilometres in a day is a start, but completing 555-plus kilometres of transfer in two weeks is an ambitious claim that will need verification. The decision to immediately hand over arrested infiltrators to the BSF, while reversing a contentious policy, also raises due-process questions that have not yet been addressed publicly.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is West Bengal handing over land to the BSF?
West Bengal is transferring land to the Border Security Force to enable fencing along approximately 600 kilometres of unfenced border with Bangladesh. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the process, stalled under the previous government, began on 20 May 2025 with a 27-kilometre handover.
How much of the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal is unfenced?
Of the roughly 2,000-plus kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border that runs through West Bengal, about 600 kilometres remain unfenced. The new state government aims to transfer all land required to fence this stretch to the BSF within two weeks.
What did the previous West Bengal government do differently on border land?
Chief Minister Adhikari alleged that the previous TMC government under Mamata Banerjee deliberately withheld at least 555 kilometres of transferable border land from the BSF, and also refused repeated Union government requests to hand over arrested illegal infiltrators to the force.
Who pays for the border land being handed over to the BSF?
The Union government will provide the compensation for the land being transferred to the Border Security Force, according to Chief Minister Adhikari.
What is the new policy on arrested illegal infiltrators in West Bengal?
From 20 May 2025, illegal infiltrators arrested by the West Bengal state police will be immediately handed over to the BSF. Adhikari clarified that this protocol will not apply to individuals covered under the Citizenship Amendment Act process.
