The Border Security Force on Tuesday said it has lodged a “strong protest” with its Bangladeshi counterpart, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), after its jawan was “abducted” by “miscreants” from the neighbouring country while patrolling the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal.
The jawan was handed back by the BGB following a flag meeting between the two sides, it said. The trooper was kidnapped by a group of 15-20 “illegal Bangladeshi miscreants” while he was undertaking a routine patrol near the Biral border in the Dinajpur area of West Bengal.
“The miscreants crossed into Indian territory and forcibly took the BSF jawan into Bangladesh and was put in the custody of the BGB,” a BSF statement said.
In response to this “alarming” situation, the BSF said, its North Bengal Frontier Inspector General headquartered in Siliguri “promptly reached out to the Region Commander of the North West Region, BGB, demanding the immediate release of the abducted jawan.”
The force said it has “condemned this act of aggression and lodged a formal protest against the actions of the Bangladeshi miscreants.”
It said the force has “emphasised the importance of maintaining peaceful relations along the border and urged the BGB to instruct its citizens to refrain from such unlawful activities.”
“The BSF remains committed to its policy of “ZERO FIRING” along the border and seeks cooperation from BGB to ensure safety and security for all,” it said.
The force said it “actively worked to secure the safe return of its personnel, and the jawan was returned by BGB after the meeting between the Sector Commanders.”
India and Bangladesh share a 4,096 km border guarded by the BSF and the BGB respectively, and the Indian force has been on an alert mode since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka on August 5.
