Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik has demanded that the state government allot land to complete the fencing along with the Bangladesh border so as to strengthen the country’s security.

Visiting the South Dinajpur district today to attend the BJP’s Shahid Samman Yatra, Mr Pramanik also came down heavily on the state government on different issues. As Mr Pramanik reached Harirampur block this morning, BJP supporters welcomed him in the party office, while he interacted with party supporters at Biniadpur and Gangarampur on his way to Balurghat.

“The central government will complete the fencing work in the unfenced area within seven days if the state government hands over the required land in the border area. The central government is giving top priority to the internal security of the country and the unfenced area on the international border is a threat,” Mr Pramanik later told reporters.

Even as Mr Pramanik spoke on national security and the border fencing issue, seven Bangladeshi nationals were arrested by the police in Banshihari in the district last night. All of them were headed for Delhi in search of work, sources said. “They did not have valid passports or other documents, but they carried several Bangladeshi documents, Bangladeshi SIM cards and Bangladeshi currency, taka,” a source said.

In another incident, the BSF today arrested 14 Bangladeshi transgenders in the Ghasuria area at the West Aptai BSF camp on the India-Bangladesh border under the Hili police station in South Dinajpur. They had been entering Indian territory illegally, it is learnt.

“Two BSF personnel on duty were attacked by the group of transgenders. Two BSF jawans and a woman were injured in the incident. BSF personnel later arrested one transgender in Hili and picked up six more from the Balurghat bus stand.

As per available records, there is a 252-km-long international border in South Dinajpur, while around 30 km of the stretch is still unfenced. “This is an international issue. The central government is trying to solve all these problems and disputes by discussions with the state government,” Mr Pramanik said.