Dhaka, April 23 -- India's Border Security Force (BSF) is reportedly divided over a proposal to deploy crocodiles and snakes in unfenced riverine stretches along the Bangladesh border to deter "infiltration and smuggling".

Many senior BSF officials, both former and incumbent, have called the move "controversial and unconventional", according to The Telegraph.

Former BSF director general Prakash Singh called the plan "silly", warning it could endanger civilians living near the border.

"How would crocodiles and snakes differentiate between Bangladeshis and Indians living close to the zero line of the international border? I don't know who has floated this proposal. It is a silly idea," he was quoted as saying.

Out of the 4,096km border ...