SHILLONG, Nov 23 ? Nine floating border outposts (BOPs), meant for strengthening anti-infiltration measures on the India-Bangladesh border in the North-east, are stranded in the Bay of Bengal as Bangladesh has declined to allow passage to the ships.
Disclosing this to newsmen here this afternoon, BSF Director General Ajay Raj Sharma, said that the nine floating BOPs came from the Mazgaon Docks in Mumbai by sea but are now stuck as Bangladesh denied passage through its waters to the North-east.
?These ships are not meant for fighting (against Bangladesh), but apparently they (Bangladesh) have doubts about the purpose of the ships?, the BSF chief said. In all 14 such floating BOPs have been sanctioned for the Water Wing of the BSF by the Government and are meant for deployment in creek areas in Bhuj in Gujarat, Sunderbans in West Bengal and the Brahmaputra (Dhubri sector) in Assam.
Each of these BOPs are complemented with four Australian-make speed boats that can carry up to ten troops. ?These speed boats can chase and intercept infiltrators and smugglers?, Sharma said.