High alert sounded on Garo Hills-Bangla border

TURA, April 30: A high alert has ben sounded in the entire border along Garo Hills to pick up any suspected Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) "agents" in the vicinity of the border. The public has also been alerted and they are extending full cooperating to the Border Security Force (BSF) in this regard. The alert has been sounded following reports that Bangladesh has been making attempts to send Bangladeshis to the Garo Hills for ascertaining the strength and movement of BSF forces here. On Friday afternoon, shortly after 1 pm locals in Rongra market of South Garo Hills, noticed a new face in the crowd. When a group of locals went up to the person to ask for his identity, they were attacked with a sharp weapon resulting in two of the locals sustaining injuries. In the meantime, personnel of the 3rd IRB battalion managed to catch the assailant who was given a severe beating by an irate mob. The Bangladeshi national identified as Madov Hajong of Rajnagar, near Kalmakanda under Netrakona district of Bangladesh, later succumbed to his injuries. On the same day, BSF personnel arrested two Bangladeshi Nationals from the Gasuapara area of South Garo Hills. The duo had ventured into the Indian territory in a motorcycle when they were intercepted. They claimed that they did not know the boundary marking and had come to see the border. The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), in retaliation, arrested two Indian nationals by picking them up from the border. A flag meeting between the BSF and the BDR took place on April 28 at Gasuapara for release of the prisoners from both the sides. A coal truck driver was also manhandled by BDR personnel at the Gasuapara export gate, on their side of the border. As the coal trucks were moving into Bangladesh territory, the BDR personnel stopped the trucks and threatened some of the drivers with dire consequences. The drivers have reported the matter to the coal exporters union. Meanwhile in the Mankachar sector, BSF personnel with assistance from the public managed to apprehend another Bangladeshi national late Friday night when he entered into the Indian territory. The foreign national was handed over to the Mankachar police after the public had given him a sound trashing. His condition is believed to be serious.