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Former diplomat KP Fabian offered a pragmatic perspective on the complex India-Bangladesh border issue. While the border remains a sensitive geopolitical topic, Fabian argues for a shift away from "fortress" mentalities toward a nuanced understanding of socio-economic migration.
Fabian noted that although the Bangladeshi economy experienced periods of strong performance under Sheikh Hasina, cross-border movement remains fundamentally driven by individuals seeking better economic opportunities. He firmly dismissed the concept of constructing rigid physical barriers, explicitly calling the push for hard border walls a "Trump idea" that fails to address the deeply nuanced reality of the region. He explained to ANI that treating everyday economic migrants as hostile threats is a flawed strategy that ignores fundamental socio-economic drivers. Instead of a hostile response, Fabian advised that economic migration requires a carefully managed, separate approach. He stressed that the issue of movement must be handled entirely apart from the critical task of combating cross-border terrorism. Highlighting this distinction, Fabian told ANI, "Under Sheikh Hasina, when Bangladeshi economy for a while was doing very well and nobody was coming into India. For what do people come? They come for economic opportunities. Correct? Well, there may be a few who come for other reasons--terrorism and this and that--but that has to be handled separately. Just because, you know, some terrorists will come from this direction, are you going to bar this road? No, you take care of the road. So, these walls, that is a Trump idea. No, it's not a good idea." Ultimately, Fabian's stance suggests that India must rethink its border management by decoupling human migration from national security threats. By distinguishing between those seeking livelihoods and those intending harm, the government can avoid the pitfalls of ineffective, symbolic barriers. Earlier on May 7, during the weekly media briefing by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said that Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman's statement following BJP's win in West Bengal elections should be seen in the context of repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis from India. Jaiswal said that India needs cooperation from Bangladesh to verify the nationality of several cases sent to them. "We have seen comments of this nature being made in the last several days. These comments must be seen in the context of the core issue of repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis from India. This obviously requires cooperation from Bangladesh. Over 2,860 cases of nationality verification are pending with Bangladesh, several of which have been pending for over five years. Our policy is that any foreign national who is illegal in the country must be repatriated as per laws, procedures, and established bilateral mechanisms and arrangements. We expect that Bangladesh will expedite nationality verification so that repatriation of illegal immigrants can take place in a smooth manner," he said. (ANI)
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