The Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has so far refused to return five
Indian nationals whose boat strayed into Bangladesh’s territorial waters
despite several flag meetings on Sunday and Monday with India’s BSF (Border
Security Force), officials aware of the matter said on Monday 19 August.
The BGB personnel cited the “current political situation” in Bangladesh
and declined to release the five men, a senior Indian officer aware of the
matter said, adding that this is the
first time in recent years that the BGB has refused to return Indian boatmen
who strayed into Bangladesh accidentally.
Senior BSF officials aware of the case said that on the night of August
17, BSF personnel of the 115 battalion at Malda hired five boat operators in
two boats to rescue cattle that was smuggled into Bangladesh via the riverine
border.
The South Bengal frontier’s headquarters and senior officials informed
the BGB personnel over the phone. When
BGB jawans, who caught the five Indian nationals, refused to release the men, a
flag meeting was held.