Border security our priority, fencing decision part of that: Randhir Jaiswal

2026-05-12T15:56:46.533Z

India has made its position clear on the construction of barbed wire fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, with the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that securing the border is India's priority and New Delhi views West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's recent decision in that context.

Speaking at the weekly briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, May 12, Jaiswal was responding to questions from journalists.

Earlier on Monday, after the first cabinet meeting of the newly elected BJP government in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that his government would hand over necessary land to the BSF within 45 days for fencing the border with Bangladesh .

When asked whether this decision could affect bilateral relations between the two countries, Jaiswal declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir told journalists on Monday that there is no scope to intimidate Bangladesh with barbed wire. "The people of Bangladesh are not afraid of barbed wire, nor is the government," he said .

On the question of infiltration, Jaiswal said that a request was made to Bangladesh long ago to verify the citizenship of over 2,860 people illegally residing in India. India believes they are all Bangladeshi citizens, but Dhaka has yet to respond .

Regarding the Teesta River development project, Jaiswal was asked whether Bangladesh's recent request to China to take up the project would undermine mutual trust, given that the previous government in Dhaka was in favour of awarding the project to India. Without giving a direct answer, he said India keeps a close watch on all developments in the world and mutual interest always takes precedence in relations with neighbours .

On the reactions from certain quarters in Bangladesh to the West Bengal election results, Jaiswal said India's goal remains to move bilateral relations forward positively, and that stance has not changed.