BGB air wing to get 2 helicopters

DOT Desk
The Border Guard Bangladesh will get two helicopters for its air wing within December next year, said its director general Major General Md Shafeenul Islam in Khagrachari on Monday, reports The New Age. While talking to UNB after visiting the remote Kantalong Border Outpost under BGB-54 battalion in Khagrachari in the afternoon, he also said a contract would be signed with Russia within this month in this regard.
‘There are 686 border outposts to protect our 4,427-kilometre border. Many border outposts are situated in far and remote areas that BGB member need to four to five days to reach from their respective camps on foot,’ the BGB chief said, adding that the paramilitary force needed its own air wing for this.
Considering the matter, the prime minister had already given her consent to procuring two helicopters for the BGB’s air wing, he said.
‘We’ll sign an agreement with Russia within this month and hope we’ll get the two helicopters within the next 8 to 12 months,’ he said.
The BGB chief also said the government has taken initiatives to construct border roads.
‘As part of the initiatives, the road transport and bridges ministry has already started a survey from Teknaf to the north to construct the border roads. The BGB has sent a proposal to the home ministry to construct border roads from Ramgarh to the north which will connect the Kantalong border outpost,’ he said.
Once the border roads were constructed, it would bring more dynamism into the border management, he said.
Major General Shafeenul said presently one border outpost had to monitor a 10-km border area which was a very difficult task for the border force.
‘If we can double the number of border outpost, border management will be more dynamic,’ he added.
Earlier in the day, the BGB director general visited the North Lankachhara border outpost under BGB-07 battalion in Khagrachhari and BGB sector headquarters in Bandarban.
He also visited the Ramu regional BGB headquarters and frontiers under Teknaf battalion on Sunday as part of his regular border inspection.
During his visit, Major General Shafeenul talked to the BGB member of the border outpost and inquired about their wellbeing and various problems.
He asked them to discharge their duties sincerely. Senior BGB officers were present during the visit.