Bangladeshi smugglers persisted in their attempts to breach the international border with India in the districts of Malda and Murshidabad, West Bengal, for the second consecutive day on Saturday, leading the Border Security Force (BSF) to open fire in self-defense, an official reported.
The incident was recorded by the 119 Battalion of the BSF at the Nawada Border Outpost in Malda. According to N.K. Pandey, DIG and spokesperson for the BSF South Bengal Frontier, the episode occurred around 2:10 a.m. on Saturday when a BSF jawan on duty spotted 15-20 Bangladeshi nationals within Indian territory, rapidly approaching the border fence 150 meters from the zero line.
Despite the jawan’s attempts to order the Bangladeshis back beyond the zero line, the smugglers disoriented him with a high-beam torch and moved aggressively toward him, prompting the jawan to fire two blanks from his service rifle. However, the criminals continued their advance, surrounding the jawan with sharp-edged weapons, leading him to fire two live rounds in self-defense. The smugglers fled into the darkness, possibly injured.
A subsequent search of the area resulted in the seizure of 572 bottles of banned cough syrup, a sharp-edged weapon known as a ‘dau,’ and a high-beam torch. Similar smuggling attempts were made at the Harinathpur and Churiyantpur BOPs in Malda and the Nandanpur and Farjipara BOPs in Murshidabad, involving cattle smuggling and illegal border crossings. Authorities seized five cattle heads, drugs, and other illegal items, with all firing incidents reported to the police.
Pandey emphasized that such incidents occur regularly, but BSF personnel remain vigilant and steadfast in protecting the borders despite the inaction of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Regular flag meetings with the BGB have yet to yield effective results, emboldening criminals and infiltrators. Nevertheless, BSF jawans continue their duties to ensure national security under all circumstances.
