Border Security Force (BSF) personnel patrol at Line of Control (LOC) on Wednesday (October 16, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Border Security Force foiled an attempt by four Bangladeshis to illegally enter India, arresting them at a border outpost in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, an offical statement said on Wednesday. The Bangladeshis allegedly intended to travel to Chennai to find work.

BSF personnel from the 73rd Battalion of the South Bengal Frontier division, stationed at the Bamanabad Border Outpost, observed suspicious movements near the international border at approximately 3:35 p.m. on Tuesday (October 15, 2024).

They spotted five people attempting to cross from Bangladesh into Indian territory, of which four were Bangladeshi citizens carrying fake Aadhaar cards. The fifth person was an Indian tout who was allegedly facilitating their movement across the border.

After an alarm was raised, the group of five tried to force their way into Indian territory, scattering and attempting to hide in the tall grass. Soon after Quick Response Teams were deployed, all five were arrested and handed over to the Raninagar police station for further legal action.

‘Heading to Chennai’

During further questioning at the Bamanabad outpost, the Indian tout allegedly confessed that he had arrived at the international border on Tuesday, October 15 to help the Bangladeshi nationals cross into Indian territory. The four illegal immigrants, who were residents of the Godagari sub-district of Bangladesh’s Rajshahi, had allegedly planned to travel to Chennai to work as labourers and had promised to pay the Indian smuggler ₹4,000 per person after successfully entering India.

The four also alleged that their fake Indian identity documents were sourced through a Bangladeshi tout based in Godagari, for 1,000 Bangladeshi taka per head.

In a similar incident two weeks ago, two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested by the BSF at the Kakmarichar border outpost on October 2 for illegally entering Indian territory. A few hours later, two Indians were arrested by Border Guards Bangladesh at the same outpost on the other side of the international border.