Amid unrest in B'desh, ICG steps up vigil along Bengal, Odisha coastlines

Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) Indian Coast Guard (ICG) units along the West Bengal and Odisha coastlines have increased vigil after the toppling of the government in Bangladesh.

Though no specific instructions have arrived as yet from the ICG headquarters in Delhi, all units under the Headquarters North East Region, based in Kolkata, are on standby to deal with any unauthorised movement from across the Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) between India and Bangladesh.

"Our assets at sea are maintaining constant vigil while aircraft from Kolkata and Bhubaneswar are also carrying out sorties. This is essential to prevent any attempt to cross over into Indian territorial waters by unauthorised people," said a senior ICG official from New Delhi.

Till a few days ago, there was a bonhomie between the ICG and the Bangladesh Coast Guard. The two forces have also participated in several table-top and physical exercises to jointly tackle accidents at sea due to bad weather, piracy, smuggling, and pollution.

After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on Monday and the subsequent takeover by the Army, communication lines have been severed.

There is a possibility that non-state actors would take advantage of the situation in Bangladesh to carry out a strike on assets along India's eastern seaboard. Apart from this, Bangladeshi nationals, fearing persecution in their own country, may also try to enter India by sea.

The ICG has ships based at Haldia in West Bengal and Paradip in Odisha. All the units have been directed to remain prepared for quick mobilisation.

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