NIA team in Jalpaiguri, BSF on high alert

Prashant Acharya, EOI, Siliguri, 15 october 2014: A National Investigation Agency team probing the Burdwan blast case on Wednesday reached Jalpaiguri to investigate whether there are any north Bengal connexions to the incident in Burdwan. The team will also look into the operations of madarsas in the district.

There are 365 madarsas in north Bengal of which 30 to 40 are believed to be running illegally. The investigators are also expected to visit other districts of North Bengal. A high alert has been sounded across north Bengal following the Burdwan blast as the region shares the border with Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, BSF jawans have been equipped with handheld thermal imagining binoculars to monitor cross border movements. There are 199 border outposts including the one at Fulbari in Jalpaiguri. BSF North Bengal Frontier inspector general Sanjeev Kumar Sood said additional forces have been brought into North Bengal in the wake of the blast. 

He said 12,000 jawans had been guarding the Indo-Bangla border in the 199 BOPs and their numbers have been strengthened by 2,000 more. "We have some unfenced portions at the border due to various land-related issues. However, we have strengthened our security to curb infiltrations," added Sood.

Governor KN Tripathi on Monday noted in Darjeeling that West Bengal shares a large part of its borders with Bangladesh and there is urgent need to remain extra cautious in terms of infiltration problems.