Drone Technology to Strengthen Surveillance in Remote Border Areas
The use of modern drone technology will make border management, security and surveillance more effective, particularly in remote and forested areas, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said. He made the remarks at a press briefing after inaugurating the Border School of Surveillance and Drone Warfare (SSSDW) at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Sylhet Sector Headquarters on Tuesday. He also unveiled the nameplate of the specialised training centre.
The Home Minister said maintaining security with ground forces is difficult in remote and forested border areas. Drones equipped with night-vision and thermal technology will enable round-the-clock digital surveillance in such areas. He said thermal technology will allow authorities to monitor activities across the border even at night. It will also help identify and prevent smuggling routes and the movement of drugs and illegal weapons.
Mr. Salahuddin said drones can also play an important role in natural and humanitarian emergencies. BGB personnel have recently used drones in rescue operations and to deliver relief supplies to remote areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Currently, BGB personnel are receiving training in border surveillance and drone warfare at the new school. The training programme will later be expanded to develop civilian expertise in advanced technology and drone operations.
The minister said the training centre would receive some of the world’s most advanced drone technologies within the next one to two years, further strengthening the country’s security capabilities. Responding to questions about drug cases and those disrupting law and order, the minister said, “The Narcotics Control Act has been updated. The effectiveness of the force is being increased manifold through labs, detention centers, dog squads and modern weapons at the district level.”
He also warned that any attempt to form mobs to obstruct legal proceedings would be dealt with strictly under existing laws. BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui and Sylhet Sector Commander Colonel Mohammad Salahuddin spoke at the event. Before the inauguration, the minister received a briefing on the specialised training programme. He later visited the Drone School Complex and Display Center and witnessed an operational exercise and dynamic drone demonstration by BGB personnel. The SSSDW has been established to modernise Bangladesh’s border security through information-based and technology-driven surveillance. The centre is expected to expand the use of drone technology in remote and high-risk border areas.
