A security man firing a pump-action gun for controlling a stone-pelting crowd in Kashmir. (File photo)
New Delhi: The Madhya Pradesh forest department has announced that it will transfer some 700 American-manufactured pump-action guns to the Border Security Force. This decision, made at the Union home ministry’s initiative, aims to strengthen border security amid growing political instability in Bangladesh, which has intensified security concerns along the India-Bangladesh frontier.
The ministry has been looking for additional resources to address the increased security demands along the border, especially over fears of a surge in undocumented people’s cross-border movement from Bangladesh into India.
Pramod Kumar Singh, the principal chief conservator of forests (protection), revealed that these firearms, typically employed to combat poaching and illegal logging within the state, will now play a vital role in national security. Confirming the transfer of these guns to reporters, Singh said, “We shall provide 700 pump-action guns from our armoury to the BSF for deployment along the international border with Bangladesh.”
The pump-action guns, imported from US-based Maverick Arms Inc in 2008, are designed to fire rubber bullets and are renowned for their efficacy in non-lethal deterrence.
The Madhya Pradesh forest department had initially acquired approximately 2,700 of these shotguns but had ceased their use following several incidents that led to legal actions against forest personnel. The guns had been in storage due to a long-standing dispute between the police and forest departments regarding the authority to use firearms. This transfer to the BSF is viewed as a pragmatic solution to utilize these resources effectively.
Bangladesh has experienced political turmoil since the ouster of the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wazed, in August amid widespread protests. Following this, economist and Nobel peace laureate Mohammad Yunus assumed interim leadership. This unrest has prompted the BSF to heighten its vigilance to prevent illegal crossings and maintain order along the 4,096-kilometre-long border.
The deployment of these pump-action guns is expected to provide the BSF with a robust tool for maintaining border security, reflecting a proactive approach to addressing the evolving security landscape in the region.
