BGB to get sound grenades and tear gas

Dhaka

The government has approved the procurement of sound grenades and tear gas canisters for the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), aligning with the practices of India’s Border Security Force (BSF), Home Affairs Adviser Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury confirmed on Monday.

Speaking after a meeting on law and order at the Secretariat, Chowdhury explained that the decision aims to equip the BGB with non-lethal crowd control tools. He added that the weapons are similar to those already used by India along the Bangladesh-India border. The adviser assured that India would not react negatively, as the BSF has been using these weapons for some time.

“These tools will help BGB manage border situations more effectively,” Chowdhury said. While the BGB is presently armed with lethal weapons, the new additions are intended to be used in non-lethal scenarios when necessary. Chowdhury emphasized that the BGB will use these weapons only when the situation requires it.

He also reassured that the border situation remains stable. “There is no big problem on the border,” he said.

Sound grenades, which create a loud noise to disorient individuals, and tear gas, which causes irritation, are both non-lethal crowd control methods. Chowdhury’s comments came after a meeting where law enforcement and security concerns were discussed.