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The Border Security Force (BSF) has detained a 70-year-old Bangladeshi farmer, Abdul Mannan, from the Ichakhali border area in Meherpur Sadar upazila. In protest, local residents detained two Indian nationals who were staying near the border.
The incident took place around 8:00am Tuesday at the Ichakhali border point. Abdul Mannan is the son of the late Nur Box of Ichakhali Mosque Para.
At around 2:00pm, officials of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF held a flag meeting over the incident. Following the meeting, all three detainees were handed over to the border forces of their respective countries.
Lieutenant Colonel Nazmul Hasan, commanding officer of Chuadanga Battalion (6 BGB), told Prothom Alo that Abdul Mannan was handed back to Bangladesh at the flag meeting. The two Indian nationals detained by local residents were also handed over to the Indian authorities.
According to local residents, Abdul Mannan had been cultivating about one and a half bighas of land in the Ichakhali border area for a long time, growing green chillies and other crops. He went to the field Tuesday morning to spray pesticides when BSF personnel took him away.
After news of the incident spread in Ichakhali village, local residents detained two Indian farmers and brought them to the area.
Ibrahim Khalilullah, Abdul Mannan’s grandson, told Prothom Alo that the family had requested the BSF to release his grandfather after learning of his detention, but the BSF did not comply.
“As they did not release my grandfather, local residents became angry and brought in two Indian farmers. One of them is Sachin Karmakar and the other is Narayan Deb,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BSF detained a 23-year-old Bangladeshi youth, Ajibor Rahman, on the Bhurungamari border in Kurigram.
He was detained after allegedly entering Indian territory around midnight on Monday in the Donalar Math area of Kajiar Char under Shilkhuri Union. Ajibor Rahman is the son of Nurul Mia of Kajiar Char.
Several local residents said a group of people entered India through an area near an international border pillar around midnight. They encountered BSF personnel, and while the others managed to flee back to Bangladesh, Ajibor Rahman was caught by the BSF.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Mahbub-ul-Haq, commanding officer of Kurigram Battalion (22 BGB), said a Bangladeshi citizen was detained by the BSF after entering Indian territory.
“Legal procedures are underway to bring him back to Bangladesh,” he said.