Kolkata, Feb 11 (V7N) — The Indian government is maintaining heightened security along the borders of seven Indian states ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th National Assembly elections on Thursday (February 12). A flawless security zone has been created through a joint initiative by the Border Security Force (BSF) and local police to ensure that the political heat in Bangladesh does not spill over into India.

Since Tuesday (February 10) morning, search operations have been conducted in hotels and densely populated areas along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal, with suspects being questioned.

In West Bengal, Swarupnagar police in the North 24 Parganas district have established a special check post at the Tentulia concrete bridge and are conducting vehicle searches. Authorities have said that these security measures will continue through election day.

Security has also been increased at the Pashupati gate on the India-Nepal border, where voter cards are now mandatory for citizens and tourists, replacing the earlier use of Aadhaar and PAN cards. Soldiers of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are on duty to monitor the international border.

In addition, the Ghojadanga land port in Basirhat subdivision of West Bengal has been closed for three days—Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday—for imports and exports due to the Bangladesh elections. Thousands of vehicles normally pass through this port daily, and the closure has effectively halted trade until operations resume on Saturday.

Yudhishthir Sarkar, a clearing and forwarding agent at the port, confirmed the closure, noting that the three-day break includes both the election-related closure and the weekly holiday.

END/SMA/AJ