TURA:
Chaos unfolded in a remote Garo village located adjacent to the international border with Bangladesh, in the Rongara region of South Garo Hills on June 7th afternoon, when Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel crossed into the Indian side and entered the Garo village of Rongara Imbloka (Waek) to seek out smugglers who fled in that direction leading to a stand-off with the villagers after they tried to question the inhabitants.
Villagers were shocked to see two uniformed BGB personnel, armed with AK assault rifles and also carrying lathis, enter their village that is located in front of the border fencing facing the international border.
The incident occurred at approximately 4 pm yesterday.
According to the Border Security Force (BSF), who has been briefed by their counterparts from Bangladesh, the BGB were engaged in a chase to catch border criminals involved in smuggling when they “unknowingly” entered the Indian village.
“Since the village is in front of the fencing the BGB personnel apparently didn’t realise they had crossed into Indian territory while giving chase. A flag meeting has been conducted and official procedure is being followed in connection with the border violation. But there was no harassment of any Indian national,” said a senior BSF official from Garo Hills who asked not to be quoted as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
He also pointed out that in majority of incidents, there is always a nexus between criminals and some border inhabitants which makes it difficult to nab the criminals.
But the presence of armed uniformed men from another country entering their village was not taken lightly by the Garo villagers.
Angered by their questioning and presence, the villagers gathered together and accosted the BGB personnel forcing them to leave the village and back into Bangladesh territory.
In that charged atmosphere, the retreating Bangladeshi guards brandished their weapons after seeing the villagers take video shots of the incident, warning them against doing so.
South Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Abraham T Sangma told this scribe that police have despatched a team to the village to conduct an enquiry after reports of harassment of the villagers by the BGB.