BALURGHAT, Oct. 6 -- The Border Security Force (BSF) detained 25 Bangladeshi nationals and an Indian tout early Tuesday morning at Panchanagar in the Lohaganj area of South Dinajpur while they were allegedly attempting to cross back into Bangladesh illegally.
According to local sources, the group was residing unlawfully in India for a long time and had worked in Kashmir without valid documents. On Monday night, they gathered in Kushmandi to illegally cross into Bangladesh's Thakurgaon district. However, after being spotted by villagers, they attempted to hide in nearby paddy fields. BSF personnel subsequently intercepted them and handed them over to the Kushmandi police. They were then arrested.
A local youth who witnessed the incident said: "My mother saw a group gathering early in the morning and alerted me. When I went outside, I saw a tout hiding behind our house, so I immediately informed the BSF and the police."
Kushmandi MLA Tapas Chandra Roy visited the site following the incident. He stated: "Kushmandi block is a border region. Locals grew suspicious after noticing several unfamiliar people and alerted the authorities. The matter is currently being probed by the Border Security Force."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.