Bangladesh returns Indian farmer abducted from Assam border area
On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, Bangladeshi border guards returned a 60-year-old farmer from Assam's Cachar district, more than ten hours after he was allegedly taken from the Indian side of the border.
Ranjit Das, a resident of Chandinagar Part-II village near the Kinnarkhal border outpost, was handed over by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel to India's Border Security Force (BSF) at the Bhanga border outpost in Sribhumi district. The handover occurred at 9:15 p.m. following a series of flag meetings between the two border forces.
According to BSF officials, Das had crossed the barbed-wire fence along with sixteen other farmers through gate number 31, which is opened daily for agricultural work in the no-man's land—a 150-yard strip on either side of the zero line. The group was cutting grass for cattle when the incident occurred.
The farmer's son, Sujit Das, stated that his father realized he had left his machete behind and went back to retrieve it. At around 11 a.m., two men crossed the Surma River in a boat, approached Das on the Indian riverbank, and took him away. The son quoted the abductors as saying the act was to "settle scores" over an alleged killing of one of their brothers on the Indian side.
After his release, Das was taken to Katigorah Model Hospital for medical examination and treatment. He recounted being initially assaulted by his captors but said he was treated fairly well during the rest of his captivity in a house on the Bangladeshi side.
The incident prompted coordination between the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, senior BSF officials, and relevant central ministries to ensure the safe return. Local legislator Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha expressed hope that such an incident would not recur, noting it was the first of its kind in this border sector.
The India-Bangladesh border stretches 4,096.7 km, with a 263-km sector in Assam. In riverine areas like Kinnarkhal, the zero line runs along the midpoints of rivers, and international norms permit fencing at least 150 yards from the boundary.
