Several news reports emanating from West Bengal—soon after change in the government in the state—appear to indicate that the process of construction of the fence along the border with Bangladesh is being expedited. The reports also appear to imply that the progress in fencing was being impeded because land for the fence was not being provided by the previous regime of West Bengal.
The narrative is that the previous government led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was not making the land available because the people illegally entering India from the porous border were a vote bank for the political party then in power. The reality, however, is not as simple.
Here, some facts related to fencing along the Bangladesh border must be brought on record before making such allegations.