Dhaka raises UAV deployment issue; BSF says no specific plan

DHAKA/NEW DELHI: Bangladesh today sought a clarification on reports that the BSF plans to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the skylines over Bangladesh frontiers even as the force said it has no "specific plans as such".

"We have officially taken up with the Indian authorities for a clarification on the BSF's reported plan to deploy the UAVs on the skylines in Bangladesh-India frontiers," a foreign ministry spokesman said in Dhaka today.

Border Security Force chief Subhash Joshi, however, said that the force has made no such deployment.

"We are looking for various technological measures to upgrade security along our borders. However, there is no deployment of UAVs at present as such and no specific proposals in this regard was not being considered," Joshi told PTI.

However, the Director General (DG), whose force gaurds two crucial frontiers of Bangladesh and Pakistan, said a number of technology solutions are being mulled which may include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in future.

His comments came as some Indian newspapers carried a report saying BSF would soon deploy the UAV along the border with Pakistan to maintain heightened vigil and planned to enforce identical aerial vigil in borders with Bangladesh also.

The reports said BSF was currently engaged with Indian air force in drafting a standard operating procedure for the UAVs to finalise the modalities of their use.

The UAVs would be flying at an altitude of 10,000-12,000 feet to capture images and relay real-time information on the movement of infiltrators, if any, anywhere near the border, the reports added.