The Border Security Force (BSF) detained a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) jawan after he purportedly entered Tripura’s Sepahijala district on Thursday.
Speaking to this correspondent, a BSF source said the uniformed BGB jawan was found in possession of ammunition near the Kamthana Border Out Post (BOP) in Sepahijala district. The BGB operates Madla BOP on the Bangladesh side.
“We suspect he entered with ill intentions in the area, though he has been claiming he was chasing smugglers. He is under BSF custody and is being questioned,” the source informed.
While the identity of the BGB jawan has not been divulged, the source informed that he is a part of the 60 BGB battalion that operates in the Kasba Brahmanbaria area, on the opposite side of the West Tripura district.
Tripura has one Integrated Check Post (ICP) along the Bangladesh border in Agartala, and a second ICP is under construction at Sabroom in South Tripura.
Tripura shares an 856 km-long international border with Bangladesh, parts of which are still unfenced due to local disputes.
Unlike international borders in many other parts of the country, Tripura doesn’t have a no-man’s land along most of its border with Bangladesh. Instead, the two countries are divided along the zero point, and the border fence is erected about 150 yards on the Indian side. Therefore, many Indian villagers still have their agricultural land on the other side of the fence, and they regularly cross the border gates with permission from the BSF to cultivate their land.
