BSF introduces floating outpost with women constables along Bangladesh border
A very special floating border outpost (BOP) – BOP Ganga – manned by the Border Security Force (BSF) officials guards the waters near the Bangladesh-India border deep inside the Sundarbans.
The BOP, located some 50km from Dhamakhali village in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district in India, is guarded by an 11-member patrol team entirely comprising women constables, the first of its kind for the neighbouring country, reports The Indian Express.
"This is the first time in the history of BSF that a platoon of Mahila Praharis (women constables) has been deployed for border patrolling and operation of a floating BOP in difficult terrain like the Sundarbans.
"Their deployment will be especially helpful in preventing smuggling by women smugglers," BSF's South Bengal Frontier headquarters said in a recent statement.
According to The Indian Express report, these floating BOPs come under the water wing of BSF.
They operate in India's riverine borders in the North Bengal and South Bengal frontier, the Tripura, Mizoram and Cachar frontiers, the Jammu frontier, the Punjab frontier and the Gujarat frontier.