India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has detained two Bangladeshi policemen who strayed across the border in Cumilla’s Brahmanpara Upazila while chasing suspected drug dealers.
The pair were still in BSF custody 13 hours after the incident on Thursday night, according to Faruk Hossain, chief of Brahmanpara Police Station.
They have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Imran Hossain and Constable Rohit Dewan of the same station.
Bangladesh and Indian authorities are in contact to secure their return, officer Faruk said.
He added that the two policemen were on night duty in a CNG-powered autorickshaw when they launched an operation to recover drugs near the border.
When suspected drug dealers tried to flee after spotting police, the officers chased them and inadvertently crossed into India.
Indian drug dealers then caught the two policemen, beat them up and handed them over to the BSF, Faruk said.
Col Rakibul Hasan, Cumilla sector commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), said the policemen wandered into India by mistake while on duty. “We have been talking to the BSF since we learnt of it.
“A flag meeting between BGB and BSF officials is due at noon. We hope the BSF will hand back them after the meeting,”
BGB Director (Operations) Lt Col Md Mahbub Murshed Rahman also spoke on the matter at a briefing on current affairs at the force’s headquarters on Friday morning.
“We have already been in official contact, and we expect to get our two policemen back very soon,” he said. “They are safe and have faced no problems.”
The incident occurred along the Shashidal border under Brahmanpara Police Station, the BGB officer said.
The area’s hilly terrain and forests can create various situations for personnel on border duty.
The BGB was providing all-out assistance to bring the officers back, he said.
Stressing that protecting borders and maintaining territorial integrity remain BGB's core mandate, Mahbub said such occurrences are not unprecedented and the force maintains professional relations with neighboring border guards to handle similar situations.