BSF picks up 5 Bangladeshis in 3 days

Another Bangladeshi was picked up by Indian Border Security Force from Porsha border in Naogaon early yesterday.

The victim, Shahidul Islam, 14, is the son of Jaher Ali of Katapur village under Porsha upazila.

With Shahidul, five Bangladeshis were picked up from border areas of Porsha and Sapahar upazilas of Naogaon in the last three days.

The boy's family members said Shahidul came out of his house, which is adjacent to border area, around 4:00am, responding to the call of nature. But members of Kaderipara BSF camp under 60 BSF Battalion in Malda detained Shahidul and took him to their camp, they added. 

Contacted, Subedar Rahmatullah of Nitpur Border Guard Bangladesh camp confirmed the incident, saying that the BGB strongly protested the incident and urged the BSF to return the boy through a flag meeting.

But the BSF did not respond to the call.

The BSF also detained four more Bangladeshis on Wednesday and Thursday from near Kalumdanga border in Sapahar upazila.

The four are Rubel Hossain, 28, of Baldiaghat village, Firoz Kabir, 22, of Kalumdanga-Chowmohani village, Mahbur Rahman, 28, of Kalmidanga village, and Mozammel Haque, 30, of Kariarpara village.

The BGB of 14 Battalion protested the incident and urged their Indian counterpart to send back the detainees.

Villagers said Rubel and Firoz went to India to bring cattle on Wednesday night. The BSF detained them from Adaldanga village of India when the two were returning home early Thursday.

The BSF also detained Mozammel and Mahbur from the same village early Wednesday. The two went there to bring cattle, said locals. 

A flag meeting was held on Thursday. The BSF there informed the BGB that the detainees were handed over to police in Malda for illegal entry into India.

Lt Col Khizir Hossain, commanding officer of 14 BGB Battalion in Sapahar, confirmed those incidents.21258