India is considering deploying several battalions of reptiles to stem illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

And why not crocodiles and snakes to guard the border? India is seriously considering deploying several battalions of reptiles to stem illegal immigration from neighboring Bangladesh, its border guards said Wednesday.

The two countries are separated by more than 4000 km of border, largely made up of deltas formed by rivers flowing from the Himalayas, swamps or mangroves, devoid of any palisade.

In power since 2014, Narendra Modi's Hindu ultranationalist government has made the fight against illegal immigration, particularly from predominantly Muslim Bangladesh, a priority.

On the border separating the Indian state of West Bengal from Bangladeshi territory, only 1647 of the 2216 km are protected by barriers, according to New Delhi.

"We have been asked to study the idea of deploying reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles in the unprotected gaps formed by rivers," a senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer, Manoj Barnwal, told AFP.

According to this official, this scenario was discussed in February during a meeting at BSF headquarters.

"It's an innovative idea, but it raises many challenges, particularly in terms of security," argued Manoj Barnwal. "How do we obtain the reptiles? What would their impact be on the inhabitants of the villages located along the border?" he listed.

"We have asked our units in the field to look into the feasibility of this approach and report back to us as soon as possible," the officer added.

Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have become strained since the fall, in 2024, of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in exile in India.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who was part of the new government formed after the February parliamentary elections, is making his first official visit to India on Wednesday.