The government has decided to construct a 108-kilometre barbed-wire fence along selected sections of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border to strengthen security and curb illegal crossings, cross-border crime and smuggling, Nikkei Asia reported.

The planned fence will cover vulnerable stretches of the 271-kilometre border with Myanmar. Authorities, however, have not disclosed the exact locations.

The decision comes amid growing security concerns following the Arakan Army’s takeover of large parts of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which has raised fears of renewed Rohingya influxes, increased trafficking of drugs and weapons, and other cross-border crimes.

The plan was announced last month by Home Affairs Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed, who said the project aims to prevent illegal infiltration, smuggling and other transnational crimes.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said the proposed border infrastructure would help curb unauthorised border crossings, human trafficking, drug and arms smuggling, and disrupt organised criminal networks operating along the frontier.

Retired Major General Mohammad Shahidul Haque, a former defence adviser at the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar, said one of the country’s major concerns is the movement of individuals from the Chattogram Hill Tracts into Rakhine to join armed groups in exchange for money.

He said constructing the fence, along with patrol roads, would significantly enhance surveillance and improve border security.

Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan said the security situation along the frontier has changed considerably since the Arakan Army captured Maungdaw in December 2024.

“Although Bangladesh maintains diplomatic relations with Myanmar’s military government, the central authorities no longer exercise effective control over the border areas,” he said.

He added that the resulting administrative vacuum has contributed to a rise in the abduction of Bangladeshi fishermen, cross-border trafficking of drugs and weapons, the risk of renewed Rohingya infiltration, and the continued threat from landmines and unexploded ordnance.

According to Coast Guard data, more than 426 Bangladeshi fishermen have been detained in the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal since late 2024. Of them, 324 have been brought back to Bangladesh, while the remaining fishermen are still being held.

Retired Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hossain said armed groups believed to be linked to the Arakan Army have increasingly resorted to kidnapping fishermen for ransom and expanding smuggling activities to finance their operations.

The proposed fence would be the first such border barrier built by Bangladesh along the frontiers with either Myanmar or India.