Fact Check: Has BSF Been Ordered to Shoot Down Aerial Objects Near the India-Bangladesh Border?

On social media, news from India and Bangladesh has gone viral. While sharing the news, users wrote: “BSF has been instructed to shoot down any aerial object flying near the India-Bangladesh border after a TB-2 attack drone of the Bangladesh military was spotted close to the Indo-Bangladesh border.”

Link

FactCheck

During the investigation, DFRAC found the claim to be false. According to a report by ‘Hindutan Times‘ published on December 16, 2024, “While no follow-up actions have been officially disclosed, a senior BSF official familiar with the matter indicated that the UAV’s deployment could be an attempt by Bangladesh to flex its strength domestically amid the unrest. ‘Such actions often rally internal support rather than pose a direct security threat to neighbors,’ the BSF official noted.”

Link

Furthermore, we also found a report from NorthEast News dated 15 Dec 2024, “We have the capability to track and shoot down any drone or any object that violates Indian airspace. There is a peace SoP (Standard Operating Procedure) which states that no aircraft flies 10 km near the border,” the defence official said. However, sometimes both manned and unmanned aircraft enter into another country’s airspace. But aerial warning is issued, and fighter jets are scrambled,” he said.

the report further stated that “Inspector General of BSF Meghalaya Frontier, Harbax Singh Dhillon, stated that the border situation with Bangladesh is currently stable. He added that minor issues with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been resolved amicably, and communication channels between the two forces remain open.
‘We are ready to face any eventuality. We are keeping a close watch on the border so that there is no infiltration from Bangladesh,’ Dhillon said after being asked about the deployment of the UAVs along the India-Bangladesh border.”

Link

Neither of the reports mentions any orders given to BSF to shoot down aerial objects.

Conclusion

It is evident from DFRAC’s fact check that the claim that the BSF has been instructed to shoot down any aerial object near the India-Bangladesh border is false. The security has been heightened on the border but no shooting orders have been announced yet.