New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) is being equipped with more than 5,000 body-worn cameras and biometric capturing devices along the India-Bangladesh border as part of enhanced security measures. These body cameras, distributed in two batches, are night-vision enabled and can record 12 to 14 hours of footage.
Their primary purpose is to document the deportation of illegal Bangladeshis, counter cross-border crimes such as drug trafficking, cattle smuggling, fake Indian currency notes circulation, human trafficking, and infiltration attempts.
The recordings will also provide crucial evidence in cases of attacks on BSF personnel by criminals from either side of the border.
Alongside the cameras, select “vulnerable” border outposts are being equipped with biometric devices capable of capturing fingerprints and iris scans of apprehended illegal entrants. This biometric data will be shared with the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) to build an evidence-based database of infiltrators and illegal Bangladeshis trying to enter India.
These steps follow a comprehensive security review by the Union Home Ministry after the political changes in Bangladesh in August 2024. The move aims to improve transparency and accountability, especially as the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has raised concerns over alleged use of excessive force by the BSF, which the Indian side contests as being strictly last-resort defense measures. The body-worn cameras are expected to document such incidents for investigative clarity.
Data till mid-July 2025 indicates that the BSF has apprehended 1,372 illegal Bangladeshis crossing into India, with over 3,500 individuals either caught or handed over by Indian state police while crossing back from India to Bangladesh. There were 77 recorded attacks on BSF personnel in 2024 and 35 up to June 2025, highlighting the challenging security environment at the border.
The introduction of these technologies is intended to bolster BSF’s operational capabilities, enhance evidence collection, and address cross-border security challenges effectively along the 4,096 km-long India-Bangladesh border.
