Reported by: Mrinal Banik
Agartala: Two personnel of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were handed over to Bangladeshi authorities on Friday after they were allegedly found inside Indian territory near the Rahimpur-Ashabari border in Tripura’s Sepahijala district, local sources said.
The personnel, identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Imran Hossain and Constable Rohit Dewan, were reportedly intercepted by local villagers on Thursday night before the Border Security Force (BSF) took them into custody.
According to local sources, the incident occurred at around 10.30 pm near border pillar 2059 and gates 167 and 168 in the Ashabari-Rahimpur sector.
The two BGB personnel were allegedly on night patrol when they crossed into Indian territory and attempted to detain a local businessman near the zero line.
Villagers intervened after noticing their presence, preventing the alleged detention. Tensions escalated, and the two personnel were allegedly assaulted by locals before BSF troops arrived and took them into custody.
The personnel were subsequently taken to the BSF’s Ashabari border outpost, where they reportedly underwent medical examinations. They remained there overnight pending their handover to Bangladeshi authorities.
A flag meeting between the two sides was held at around 1 pm on Friday near gate number 163 and border pillar 2057 in the Rahimpur sector. Representatives of the border forces, police and intelligence departments from both countries reportedly attended the meeting.
The Indian delegation included the BSF battalion’s second-in-command, a deputy commandant and Inspector Arun Kumar. The two BGB personnel were handed over to senior Bangladeshi border force officials following discussions.
Villagers alleged that the two personnel had previously crossed into Indian territory and detained people in the border area.
They also accused them of demanding between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh from villagers living along the border and threatening to implicate them in contraband smuggling cases if they refused to pay.
Other allegations, including claims that the personnel were carrying yaba tablets when they crossed the border, have also emerged. However, these claims could not be independently verified, and no official confirmation was available.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged border crossing and the reported attempt to detain the businessman remain unclear.
There was no immediate official response from the BSF or Bangladeshi authorities regarding the allegations or the circumstances that led to the detention and subsequent handover.