Guwahati: Illegal migration from Bangladesh has remained a recurring issue in electoral discourse for decades, yet significant gaps persist in fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border, nearly 40 years after the project was initiated.
According to a report by the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs, out of the 4,096-km-long international border, approximately 3,232 km has been fenced so far. About 689 km remains uncovered, of which around 174 km comprises riverine stretches that are not feasible for fencing. This leaves roughly 500 km to 700 km of land where fencing is still possible but incomplete.
The delay has largely been attributed to challenges such as land acquisition in populated areas, logistical constraints, and administrative hurdles. Over the years, the project has also faced issues including public resistance, delays in forest and wildlife clearances, difficult terrain, and prolonged monsoon conditions, particularly in the northeastern region.
The fencing project began in 1986, with Phase I completed in 2000, covering over 850 km. By 2014, about 2,823 km of fencing had been completed out of the sanctioned 3,359 km, reflecting an average annual progress of around 100 km during earlier phases.
Subsequent progress has been comparatively slower. Since 2014, an additional 409 km of fencing has been completed, averaging about 40 km per year. Successive deadlines for completing the project, including targets set for 2014 and later 2019, have not been met.
As of February 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed Parliament that 3,232.218 km of the border had been fenced. The remaining stretches continue to face obstacles such as delays in land acquisition, objections from the Border Guard Bangladesh, limited working seasons, and terrain-related difficulties including landslides and marshy land.
India shares its longest international border with Bangladesh, making it the fifth longest in the world. The boundary spans five states — Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal, each presenting distinct geographical and administrative challenges for border management.
Despite sustained political focus on illegal migration, the incomplete fencing underscores the structural and operational complexities involved in securing the border.