BSF troops at B'desh border get 5,000 body cameras to record deportations
As many as 2,500 BWCs — small battery-powered digital video cameras with night-recording capability that BSF jawans will be outfitted to their uniform shirts or winter jackets and manually start recording — have already been handed over while 2,500 more will be sent in coming weeks, officers said.
'A decision to use body-worn cameras was taken particularly in the wake of increasing attacks by drug smugglers or anti-national elements and skirmishes with human traffickers or individuals looking to enter India illegally who then allege use of excess force by BSF. They will help improve officers' safety, having electronic evidence, record stop and frisk procedures of patrolling units, and help reduce complaints by individuals and BGB at the border,' said an officer.
The border guarding force's data seen by HT suggests that there were 77 attacks on BSF personnel at the Indo-Bangladesh border in 2024, while 35 such attacks have been recorded till June 30 this year.
Besides, increasing incidents of unauthorised persons trying to enter India or leave for Bangladesh in the last couple of years have also been recorded. For instance, BSF apprehended 2,425 incoming and 1,049 outcoming individuals at the Indo-Bangladesh border in 2024, a number which has been recorded at - 1,372 (incoming) and 3,536 (outgoing) between January 1 and July 15 this year.
Police and border control agencies in several countries including the US Customs and Border Patrol, the UK's Metropolitan Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Canada, German and France police among others use BWCs in their daily operations.
Other than BWCs, to create a robust data of illegal immigrants and their instant verification, BSF has also installed at its sensitive posts 'biometrics authentication systems' - which are linked with the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP) of the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), a third officer cited above said. 'This is aimed at keeping records of illegal immigrants for future, so that they don't make another attempt (s),' he said.
Over 2,500 illegal Bangladeshi nationals have been deported in the last few months via various crossings at the Indo-Bangladesh border, said the third officer.
During the last director generals (DGs) level talks between BSF and BGB in Delhi from February 17-20 this year, BSF had pointed out to the other side the assaults or abuse on BSF personnel and Indian civilians by Bangladesh based criminals or miscreants. Both sides agreed to undertake combined efforts to bring down such incidents to absolute minimum by increasing coordinated patrols especially during late hours of nights to early morning in vulnerable areas and educating the border population regarding the sanctity of the international border, according to a statement issued by BSF in February.
It was also agreed that both BSF and BGB will pursue and share real-time information and investigation reports of traffickers, and remain extra vigilant to curb such crimes, and help victims of human trafficking and facilitate their rescue and fastest rehabilitation as per law of the land.
'The BWCs are a precautionary measure in that direction and to avoid any untoward incident (s),' he said.
India shares a 4,096 kms long border with Bangladesh, which touches West Bengal (2216.7 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) and Mizoram (318) km). The entire stretch consists of plains, riverine belts, hills and jungles; is heavily populated and is cultivated right up to the border. There are 1,113 Border Out Posts (BOPs) of the BSF on the entire border to deter trans-border criminals, infiltrators and the hostile elements from indulging in the activities of intrusion/ encroachment and border violations.
BSF employs round the clock surveillance and patrolling and monitoring through observation posts, besides using border floodlighting, water crafts/boats and floating Border Out Posts (BOPs) for domination of riverine areas.
A major challenge, according to the first officer, at this border is 'its terrain'. 'Construction of fencing in certain stretches on this border due to riverine or low lying areas, habitations close to the border, and floods during monsoons makes it difficult to fence the entire border. Out of 4,096 kms long border, only 3,196 kms is fenced. The over 850 km long border is not feasible to be fenced,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
40 minutes ago
- First Post
'Pure evil came to New York': Who was 27-yr-old gunman who went on a rampage & killed 4 in Manhattan?
A mass shooting in New York's Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday left four innocents dead, including a Bangladeshi-origin NYPD officer, Didarul Islam. The attacker has been identified as 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura. The man carried an assault rifle and went on a violent spree, triggering panic in the high-rise building, which had offices of firms like Blackstone, the National Football League, and KPMG read more Shane Tamura has been identified as the 27-year-old gunman behind the deadly Midtown Manhattan shooting. Image courtesy: NYPD A horrific mass shooting rocked New York City on Tuesday. A gunman stormed into a high-rise office building in Midtown Manhattan, home to heavyweight firms like Blackstone, the National Football League, and KPMG, and opened fire, killing four people before turning the gun on himself. The shooter, now identified as Shane Devon Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas, acted alone, armed with an around $500 assault rifle, reports the New York Post. His motives remain under investigation. The attack has left New Yorkers stunned, as many struggle to understand how such violence could erupt in the middle of one of the city's most secure and high-profile commercial zones. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Who was this man? What led him to this point? And how did such a deadly tragedy unfold so quickly? Here's what we know so far. New York shooting: What happened? The violence began around 6:30 pm on Monday (local time), just as office workers were wrapping up their day and getting ready to head home. That's when a man, dressed in a bulletproof vest and carrying a long rifle, walked into a 44-storey office tower in Manhattan, just a few blocks away from Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, and the Museum of Modern Art, and began shooting. According to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the gunman's first target was a New York Police Department officer. He then shot a woman who had taken cover behind a pillar and continued through the lobby, where he fatally shot a security guard hiding behind the desk. Another man in the lobby was also gunned down. Police officers and emergency vehicles respond to a shooting in midtown Manhattan on Monday. AFP After the initial attack, the shooter took an elevator to the 33rd floor, where he killed one more person before walking down the hallway and shooting himself in the chest. As the chaos unfolded, a building-wide alert rang out, 'Shelter in place', sending a wave of fear and confusion through the tower. Syad Sakib, an office worker who spoke to AFP, said he was packing up for the day when the alarm sounded. 'Everyone was confused with like, 'Wait, what's going on?' And then someone finally realised that it's online, that someone walked in with a machine gun,' said Sakib, still in his grey suit jacket. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Photos circulating online show office workers in formal business attire barricading their doors with sofas and desks, stacking furniture high, almost to the ceiling. These images are doing the rounds on social media and couldn't be independently verified by FirstPost. This is how the employees in the Blackstone building barricaded themselves inside their offices while the shooter was active. — Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) July 29, 2025 Another woman, leaving the scene shortly after the attack, told AFP, 'I was in the building. He went floor by floor.' In total, five people died in the attack, including the gunman. One person remains in critical condition, and several others suffered minor injuries during the panic. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At the press briefing, New York City's police officers' union, Patrick Henry, described Tamura as 'pure evil' and said, 'Pure evil came to the heart of our city and struck innocent people and a police officer who was protecting those civilians' Who was Shane Tamura? Shane Tamura has been identified as the 27-year-old gunman behind the deadly Midtown Manhattan shooting. Originally from Hawaii, Tamura later moved to Las Vegas, where he lived a relatively quiet life before this violent outburst. He had reportedly worked as a security guard at a casino, and according to authorities, had no prior criminal record. However, authorities confirmed that he did have a documented history of mental health issues. While the specifics of his condition have not been publicly disclosed, it remains a key focus of the ongoing investigation. A viral image of Tamura's ID revealed that he held a concealed firearms permit, issued on June 14, 2022, valid for five years. He also reportedly carried an expired private investigator's license. The weapon used in the attack was an AR-15–style assault rifle, said to have been legally purchased for about $500 in Nevada. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Manhattan shooter identified as Shane Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas — multiple reports — RT (@RT_com) July 29, 2025 Tamura arrived in New York City after driving cross-country, including Colorado, Colombia, before pulling up to 345 Park Avenue just hours before the shooting. A vehicle with Nevada plates registered to Tamura was found at the scene. Inside the car, police recovered a rifle case, multiple rounds of ammunition, a loaded revolver, several magazines, a backpack, and medication prescribed to Tamura. The NYPD bomb squad searched the vehicle and found no explosives. However, they did retrieve a bloodied AR-15 rifle, believed to be the one used in the attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD People who knew Tamura during his school years described him as energetic and cheerful. He once played football, and according to old footage from 2015, he had a deep passion for the game. NEW details on would be KILLER Shane Tamura 2015 video shows the NYC shooter talking about football — RT (@RT_com) July 29, 2025 'You never would have thought violence was something you'd associate with him," Caleb Clarke, a former classmate and football teammate, told NBC News. 'You know, he could make a joke about people, but that's just typical. Shane was a jokester. Everything he said was a joke. He had a ton of energy.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another friend recalled him as 'the biggest goofball in the world,' a class clown who brought humour and high spirits to the field and classroom. Who are the victims? The deadly attack at 345 Park Avenue claimed four lives, including that of an NYPD officer who had been working off-duty security at the building. Officer Didarul Islam, 36, was fatally shot near the lobby as he tried to intervene during the chaos. Originally from Bangladesh, Islam had served with the NYPD for three and a half years and was widely respected by his colleagues. He is survived by his pregnant wife and two young children. Officer Didarul Islam, 36, was fatally shot near the lobby as he tried to intervene during the chaos. Image courtesy: NYPD 'He loved this city and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out the life of a godly person,' said Mayor Eric Adams, paying tribute to the fallen officer during a press briefing. Three civilians were also killed in the attack, though their names have not yet been publicly released. One person remains in critical condition. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With input from agencies
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
What we know about New York police officer killed in Manhattan mass shooting
A New York Police Department officer was among the five killed in mass shooting at Manhattan office building on Monday. The deceased also include the gunman who fatally shot himself, say the police. A suspect had opened fire inside a midtown office tower when the 36-year-old NYPD officer, Didarul Islam, was working on a paid security detail in the building. According to news agency Reuters, Islam was a Bangladeshi immigrant, working in the New York police department for the last three and a half years. Islam is survived by his two sons and wife, who is currently pregnant with a third child. 'We lost four souls to another senseless act of gun violence, including a member of the New York City Police Department, Officer Islam,' New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters in a press conference late on Monday. Speaking on Islam, Adams said: ''He was saving lives, he was protecting New Yorkers,' Adams said. 'He loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God.' Adams said he met the officer's family on Monday night. 'I told them that he was a hero, and we admire him for putting his life on the line,' the mayor added. Speaking at a press conference, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Islam put himself in 'harm's way'. 'He made the ultimate sacrifice — shot in cold blood,' she added. Stating that Islam was working on a paid security detail at the office building where the shooting took place, she said such details allow 'companies to hire officers in uniform to provide extra uniform security'. she said. The New York City police too issued a statement saying that Islam represented 'the very best' of their department. 'He was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today. We join in prayer during this time of incomprehensible pain. We will forever honour his legacy.'
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Police busts sex racket in Maharashtra's Palghar; 3 Bangladeshi nationals held
Police have arrested three Bangladeshi nationals after busting a prostitution racket operating at a house in Maharashtra's Palghar district and rescued a minor girl and a woman from the premises, officials said on Tuesday. During the raid, the police caught three alleged agents in the flat and rescued a minor girl who was being pushed into flesh trade.( Praful Gangurde /HT Photo) Acting on a tip, the police's anti-human trafficking cell personnel conducted a raid in a flat at Naigaon in Vasai area on July 26. During the raid, the police caught three alleged agents in the flat and rescued a minor girl who was being pushed into flesh trade, Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar's Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said. A woman, aged 21, was also rescued from the premises, he said. The three arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Khalid Bapari, Juber Harun Sheikh and Shamin Gaffar Sardar, all hailing from Bangladesh, the official said. The rescued girl and the woman also hail from Bangladesh, and had allegedly been trafficked into India and forced into the flesh trade, he said. They have been lodged at a centre of the Rescue Foundation, the official said. An FIR has been registered against the accused under various sections, including 96 (procuration of child), 98 (selling child for purposes of prostitution, etc), 143(3), 143(4) (trafficking of person) and 144 (exploitation of a trafficked person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. They have also been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the police said.
