Two members of the Bangladesh Police have been detained by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) after entering a no-man’s land area during a drug recovery operation along the Ashabari border in Cumilla’s Brahmanpara upazila.
The incident occurred at around 10.30pm on Thursday, 15 October, in the border area of Shashidal Union. Md Faruk Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Brahmanpara Police Station, confirmed the incident.
The detained officers have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Imran Hossain and Constable Rohit Dewan.
According to the police, the two officers had gone to the border area to conduct an operation to recover drugs. During the operation, Constable Rohit Dewan, who had recently joined the force, chased a suspected drug trader towards a house. However, he reportedly lost his way and entered the no-man’s land near border pillar number 2059 along the Bangladesh-India frontier.
Several local residents detained him in the area, according to the police account. When ASI Imran Hossain attempted to rescue his colleague, he was also detained. The two officers were subsequently handed over to the BSF by local residents, after which the Indian border force took them into its custody.
Following the incident, efforts were initiated to secure the officers’ return to Bangladesh. OC Md Faruk Hossain said senior officials from the police and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were holding discussions to bring the two men back to the country.
No specific timeline has been announced for their release or return.
The incident highlights the challenges law enforcement personnel can face while conducting operations near an international border. Drug-related operations in frontier areas require careful attention to territorial boundaries, particularly where unfamiliar terrain can make it difficult to identify the precise location of an operation.
Crossing into a sensitive border zone can also complicate law enforcement activities and require coordination between the authorities of the two countries. In such circumstances, communication between the relevant agencies is important for resolving incidents involving personnel detained near or across the international boundary.
The circumstances surrounding the officers’ entry into the no-man’s land have been described in the police account. Further details about the discussions with the BSF, however, have not been made public.
Police and BGB officials are continuing their efforts to secure the return of ASI Imran Hossain and Constable Rohit Dewan. Their release and repatriation will depend on the outcome of the ongoing discussions between the relevant authorities.
