Rajnath Singh inaugurates BOLD-QIT project in Assam’s Dhubri along Indo-Bangladesh border

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) Rajni Kant Mishra, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

The Union Home minister had inaugurated the project at BOP Barmanpara along Indo-Bangladesh border.

Now around 61 km long Indo-Bangladesh riverine border along Assam’s Dhubri district is being equipped with underwater and underground sensor (Sonar) to detect all illegal cross-border activities.

A wide range of electronic gadgets have been installed along the Indo-Bangladesh riverine border in Dhubri district to stop trans-border movement, activities and this has been taken up under the BOLD-QIT project.

Rajnath Singh said that, this project will help the BSF to detect any cross-border crimes and other illegal activities.

“It is an unique project taken by the Union government and hope it will implement other international borders also,” Rajnath Singh said.

The Union Home minister further said that, it will take time to complete seal the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Border Security Force is responsible for safeguarding of 4,096 Km long international border with Bangladesh.

At various places, it is not possible to erect border fence due to the geographical barriers.

The 61 km of border area in Dhubri district where river Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh is consisting of vast char lands and innumerable river channels thus making border guarding in this area, a daunting task especially during rainy season.

To overcome this problem, in the year 2017, Ministry of Home Affairs decided to go for technological solution besides the physical presence of manpower of BSF.

In January 2018, Information and Technology Wing of BSF undertook the project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) and completed it in record time with the technical support of various manufacturers and suppliers.

BOLD-QIT is the project to install technical systems under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), which enables BSF to equip Indo-Bangla borders with different kind of sensors in unfenced riverine area of Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

Now, the entire span of river Brahmaputra has been covered with data network generated by Microwave communication, OFC Cables, DMR Communication, day and night surveillance Cameras and intrusion detection system.

These modern gadgets provide feeds to BSF Control Rooms on the Border and enable BSF Quick Reaction Teams to thwart any possibility of illegal cross border crimes.

The project will keep the terrain borders as well as the riverine borders under surveillance round the clock.

Earlier the Union Home minister had inaugurated two smart fencing pilot projects of five kilometers each on India-Pakistan international border in Jammu in September last year.

A top official of BSF said that, it will make their security system error free as they would be able to make the land, water as well as underground, underwater border and airspace free from any kind of encroachments.

Assam’s Dhubri district shares with the Bangladesh are mainly in the Brahmaputra river and a little portion in the Gadadhar river and it considered to be the longest riverine border in the country.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)