Haridaspur BOP (West Bengal), Oct 23 (ANI): The first ever women contingent of the Border Security Force (BSF) has been deployed along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal.

These women BSF constables are not only trained and deployed along the Indo-Bangladesh, but Indo-Pak borders as well.

The first batch comprises of 108 women from Punjab and another 46 from West Bengal.

The South-Bengal Frontier, which overlooks 50.52 kilometres within its area of responsibility (AOR) along Indo-Bangladesh border, has problems like cross-border smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition and cattle, alongside alleged trafficking in women

BSF was in dire need of women personnel as it was impossible to detain women for physical checks which otherwise would have been deemed as violation of human rights.

Considering these aspects, the BSF is now committed to recruit more women into their ranks for the tasks of tracking and checking women and children going across the India-Bangladesh border.

“Recruitment of women in BSF has begun. We will observe their performance for next two-three years. Women officers in BSF are required since earlier we were not able to search women and children, who were involved in smuggling across the border,” said C V Murlidharan, Inspector General, Border Security Force, South-Bengal Frontier, Haridaspur BoP.

The initial recruits are of the constable rank. Their performance will be the factor to decide whether BSF must rope in more women personnel for the border surveillance and inspection duties.

BSF had long felt the need for women personnel and now that an armed women’s wing has been raised and deployed, it is hoped that use of women for possible cross-border illegal activities would be curtailed significantly. (ANI)