Bangladesh Hands Over Assam Farmer Hours After His Abduction Near Zero Line

Guwahati : Hours after the alleged abduction from the zero line of the international border, the Bangladesh authorities handed over a 65-year-old farmer to its counterpart in India in Assam’s Cachar district on Tuesday late night.

The BSF officials said that an Indian farmer Ranjit Das was handed over to them safely and good health but their counter.

The family of the farmer who raised an alarm about the abduction said that they received a call from a person in Bangladesh who told them the abduction was allegedly carried out in retaliation for the killing of a Bangladeshi near the India-Bangladesh border. “We do not know how true that is, but after talks between the two countries, he was finally returned,” said a member of the farmer family.

Earlier, BJP MP Parimal Suklabaidya, who represents Silchar Lok sabha, visited Mr Das’s border village and said that Bangladesh has agreed to return the farmer after high-level discussions and a medical examination.

Mr Suklabaidya said that the incident raised concerns about the safety of Indian farmers working in fields near the border. “We have fencing on our side, but many stretches on the Bangladesh side remain unfenced. Many Indians cultivate land in the Indian portion of the zero line. After this incident, we will have to be more concerned about their safety,” he said. Mr Suklabaidya said that he would request the government to strengthen security arrangements along the zero line of the International border.

It is significant that Indian farmers have huge fertile land along the zero line of the international border with Bangladesh in Assam. Pointing out that there is routine practice of cultivating these lands by the Indian farmers under the surveillance of BSF, security sources said that a heavily guarded portion of Indian agricultural land remains outside the fence, where local farmers have been cultivating the crops for decades.

Narrating the incident family members of the abducted farmer said that the group of farmers had completed their work for the day and were returning home when he realised he had left his machete behind and went back to get it. Moments later, a group of six to seven men allegedly crossed from the Bangladesh side, assaulted him, and dragged him across the border.

His brother Kalimohan Das, who was present, said that he tried to intervene but was pushed back. “Before we could understand what was happening, they caught him and started dragging him away. They threatened him and took him to Bangladesh. We were helpless,” he said.

The abduction triggered panic and outrage in Kinnarkhal and nearby villages. Hundreds of residents gathered near the border fencing and demanded Ranjit Das’s return.

Top BSF, police officers, local legislators, and other officials rushed to the spot. BSF contacted Border Guard Bangladesh and sought a flag meeting.

Residents said that there was no immediate response from the Bangladeshi side, and Ranjit Das’s whereabouts were unknown for hours.

However, after the intervention of BSF and local authorities, Bangladesh authorities rescued an Indian farmer and handed him over to Indian authorities late on Tuesday night.