A farmer from West Bengal was rescued within about 24 hours after he was allegedly taken across the India-Bangladesh border by suspected Bangladeshi miscreants, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. The incident took place near the Ayadanga and Nasirerpara border areas under Hogolberia police station in Nadia district and triggered protests by local farmers over security concerns.
The farmer, identified as Kajal Ghosh, was reportedly working beyond the fencing on Saturday morning when a group of alleged Bangladeshi attackers confronted Indian farmers. The report said Ghosh was taken to Bangladesh, where he was believed to have been held at a Border Guard Bangladesh, or BGB, camp.
Another farmer, Bidhan Biswas, was allegedly assaulted during the same incident and suffered serious injuries from a sharp weapon. Other farmers rescued him and admitted him to Karimpur Rural Hospital in an ambulance operated by the Border Security Force, the report said.
Personnel from the BSF’s 146th Battalion at the Nasirerpara camp and local police began efforts to locate Ghosh after receiving information about the reported abduction. A flag meeting was subsequently held between the BSF and BGB. Ghosh was rescued at around midnight on Saturday and handed back to his family in the presence of police and BSF personnel, according to the report.
The incident followed a separate confrontation near border pillar 152/10-S at the Ayadanga border area on Friday afternoon. The report said BSF personnel opened fire while attempting to stop alleged smugglers. A man identified as Sahajul from Daulatpur in Bangladesh was reportedly injured, after which allegations emerged that the BGB had opened retaliatory fire.
The sequence of events heightened tension in the border villages. Local farmers told the publication that similar incidents had repeatedly affected people who cross or work near the fencing. They reportedly began a protest and stopped work while seeking stronger security arrangements for agricultural activity in the area.
The border fencing and the location of farmland create a difficult operating environment for residents whose agricultural plots lie beyond or close to the fenced line. In such areas, routine cultivation can require coordination with security personnel, while any confrontation can quickly become a matter involving both border forces and local police.
The report said the Karimpur legislator visited the area after learning about the farmers’ concerns and held discussions with them in an effort to address the situation. No further details on a formal security arrangement, criminal investigation or action by the two border forces were provided in the supplied report.
