The India-Bangladesh Border: Why It’s Still Open and What It Means for India

The border between India and Bangladesh is over 4,000 kilometres long. It is one of the longest borders in the world. It runs through rivers, paddy fields, villages, and even people’s backyards. This border was drawn in 1947 when India and Pakistan were split, and later adjusted in the 1970s. Because it passes through such difficult areas and because many villages are right on the line, it has always been easy to cross without permission.

India started building a fence in 1986, but even in 2025 a lot of it is still not finished. About 80% is fenced, but more than 800 kilometres are still open. In West Bengal alone, over 500 kilometres have no fence at all. There are not enough soldiers to guard the whole border properly, so big parts are left empty or only checked once in a while.

Why hasn’t India sealed the border yet?

There are many reasons:

The land itself is the problem

The border crosses more than 100 rivers and many low-lying areas that flood every year. When the water rises, islands appear and disappear. Building a strong fence in such places is almost impossible — the river just washes it away.

Villages are split in half

In many places, one house is in India and the next house is in Bangladesh. To build a fence, the government would have to take people’s land and move thousands of families. Local people fight against this, so work gets delayed for years.

Bangladesh doesn’t like the fence

Bangladesh says the fence breaks old agreements that say nothing can be built within 150 metres of the border line. They also say it hurts poor villagers who buy and sell small things across the border every day — fish, rice, chickens, etc. For many families, this daily trade is how they survive.

Money and slow government work

The project keeps running out of money, and officials move slowly. Deadlines come and go — 2017, 2022, now 2026 — but the work is still not done.

People keep coming in

Because the border is open in many places, thousands of Bangladeshis cross into India looking for work or safety. Floods, poverty, and trouble in Bangladesh push them. Once they reach India, they settle in slums or villages, especially in West Bengal, Assam, Delhi, and other big cities.

Many manage to get Indian documents — Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and sometimes even voter cards — by using fake papers or taking advantage of weak checking systems. With these documents they can get free or cheap ration, government cash help (like Lakshmir Bhandar in Bengal), school for children, and hospital treatment. All these things are meant for Indian citizens, so when millions of outsiders use them, it costs India a lot of money.

They also work for very low wages in construction, factories, and farms, which makes it harder for local Indian workers to find jobs at fair pay.

Fear in 2025: The voter list checking (SIR)

In November 2025, the Election Commission started a big drive in West Bengal called Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Its job is to clean the voter list and remove fake or doubtful names. Officials are asking people to show proper proof that they are Indian citizens.

Many Bangladeshi families who have been living in India for years got scared. They think if their names are removed from the voter list, the government will catch them and send them to detention camps or push them back to Bangladesh.

Even though the government says there are no such plans right now, fear has spread fast.

In places like Basirhat and other border areas, hundreds and sometimes thousands of people have been rushing to the border, begging the Border Security Force (BSF) to let them go back to Bangladesh before they get caught. Some get stuck at the border for days.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, says this fear is being created on purpose to trouble Muslim families. The opposition says the state had allowed too many outsiders to settle and get voter cards.

What can be done?

India wants to stop illegal entry, but completely sealing this border is very hard because of rivers, villages, and the need for good relations with Bangladesh. Better cameras, drones, and sensors can help watch the open areas. Both countries could patrol together in some places. India also needs stronger computer systems so fake Aadhaar and voter cards become harder to get.

At the same time, the government must make sure real Indian citizens are not harassed just because they are poor or don’t have old papers.

In simple words: the border stays half-open because nature, people, politics, and money make it too difficult to close completely. Lakhs of Bangladeshis have used this gap to settle in India, get benefits, and now many are terrified they will lose everything. Fixing the problem needs technology, fair rules, and cooperation between India and Bangladesh — not just more barbed wire.