Most of the border posts of the 115th Battalion, stationed at Malda under the BSF South Bengal Frontier’s Sector headquarters, are located along the Ganga River. On August 17, while attempting to rescue cattle being smuggled through the river, five operators of two engine-fitted country boats which are hired by the BSF were swept away by the strong currents and whirlpools of the Ganga. The boat suddenly got defective and drifted into Bangladesh territory, and the operators unknowingly crossed the border. When BSF officers requested the return of the Indian boat operators, BGB officers refused, citing the reason of current situation in Bangladesh and pressure from the media.
According to the reports, on August 17, during the second shift, jawans from the Border Outpost Nimtita, 115th Battalion, noticed a suspicious object floating in the Ganga River. The jawan immediately alerted the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and the Engine-Fitted Country Boat (EFCB) Party via radio. In response, two EFC boats, manned by five boatmen, arrived at the scene and discovered that cattle were being smuggled across the river, tied to banana stems. While attempting to save the cattle, one of the EFC boats developed tecnical defects after hitting a whirlpool in the surging river and was quickly carried away by the strong currents. The second EFC boat tried to tow the defective boat, but due to the increased water level and strong flow of the river, both boats inadvertently crossed into Bangladesh territory, where these boatmen were apprehended by the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB).
BSF officials immediately informed BGB officials of the incident by phone and requested the return of the Indian boat operators. A flag meeting was promptly held between BSF and BGB officials, during which BSF officials explained that the detained individuals were employed by the BSF as EFCB operators. They clarified that due to an engine failure while seizing cattle in the Ganga River, the boat operators had accidentally crossed the international border into Bangladesh. The BSF emphasized that the incident occurred during official duty, and the operators had no ill intentions. They urged the BGB to return the operators in the interest of maintaining coordination and good relations between the two border guarding forces. However, BGB officials refused to return the operators, citing the current situation in Bangladesh and handed them over to local police authorities.
( Input from BSF)
Report- Pratyusha Mukherjee
