A 35-year-old tea farmer from West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district was allegedly abducted by a group of Bangladeshi men from a tea garden near the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday.
The farmer, identified as Dipankar Gope, is a resident of Tasar Para village in the Chaulhati border area. His family suspects that he was taken across the border in retaliation for an earlier attempt by a Bangladeshi national to illegally enter India that was foiled.
According to local sources, a Bangladeshi man allegedly attempted to enter India on August 6 by cutting through the barbed wire fence along the Chaulhati border.
Villagers and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel reportedly caught the man and handed him over to the police. Locals suspect he may have been associated with a cross-border smuggling network.
Two days later, on Saturday morning, Gope went to his six-bigha tea garden near the border to spray pesticides. The plantation is situated beyond the barbed wire fence.
Gope was reportedly working alone when around 20 Bangladeshi men allegedly crossed the border and surrounded him. He tried to flee but was overpowered by the group.
The men then allegedly took Gope across the international boundary into Bangladesh’s Panchagarh district.
BSF ATTEMPTS NEGOTIATION BUT IN VAIN
The alleged abduction triggered panic in nearby border villages, with residents raising concerns about the safety of people who routinely work in agricultural fields and tea gardens located close to the international border.
After the incident, BSF personnel reached the location and began efforts to secure Gope’s release. Officials also conducted a flag meeting with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
However, the farmer had not been released by Saturday night and was reportedly in BGB custody.
Meanwhile, a video purportedly featuring Gope emerged on social media. In the video, he allegedly says that he would be released only if the Bangladeshi national arrested by Indian authorities was freed.
The authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.
Gope’s father appealed for his son’s safe return and alleged that the abduction was carried out as retaliation for the recent arrest at the border.
The BSF continues to remain in contact with Bangladeshi authorities in an effort to secure the farmer’s safe release. Investigations are also underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether organised cross-border smuggling networks were involved.
