“A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was detained for over six hours after being abducted by a group of 15-20 Bangladeshis, who handed him over to the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), leading Indian authorities to lodge a formal protest on Tuesday.
According to a BSF statement, the North Bengal Frontier Inspector General (IG) contacted his Bangladeshi counterpart, demanding the immediate release of the trooper. Following a flag meeting between sector commanders, the trooper was released around 5 pm on Tuesday.
Bangladeshi media, citing BGB officers, claimed that the trooper had crossed the border, leading to his detention. However, the BSF denied this, calling the incident “a serious breach of border security” and “alarming.” The BSF stated, “During a routine patrol near the Biral border in Dinajpur, India, a BSF personnel was abducted by 15-20 illegal Bangladeshi miscreants who crossed into Indian territory, forcibly taking the jawan into Bangladesh and placing him in BGB custody.”
The BSF further noted that its North Bengal IG immediately contacted the BGB’s North West Region Commander to demand the trooper’s release. The trooper was returned following a meeting between the two sides’ sector commanders. The BSF reiterated its commitment to the “zero firing” policy along the border and called for BGB’s cooperation in maintaining law and order.
Tensions between the border forces of the two countries have escalated since the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August. On Saturday, BGB personnel halted BSF from constructing a border fence in South Bengal. Incidents like the detention of Indian civilians accidentally crossing the border and the recent shooting of a teenager by Bangladeshi forces have further strained relations.”
