Rajshahi villagers patrol border fearing Indians' intrusion

The villagers at Rajshahi’s Charkhanpur have been patrolling the India-Bangladesh border at night along with the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to stave off intrusion from India for past few days.

As many as 250 villagers have been doing the job in Bangladesh-India border in shifts since 28 November.

Residents of the village said, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members sought their help to guard the border sensing possible intrusion of Indian nationals.

Members of Charkhanpur border post of BGB Battalion-1 hold a meeting with the villagers on 28 November at Prothom Alo trust funded school Alor Pathshala ground.

In-charge of Charkhanpur border post nayek subadar Nazrul Islam and two union parishad members were present at the meeting.

Nazrul Islam told Prothom Alo that they got tip off that Indian nationals might enter Bangladesh through the border.

The BGB then called the meeting with the villagers in presence of UP member Arshadul Haque and Kuhinur Begum and sought the villagers' help in guarding the border.

The meeting decided that the villagers would patrol the border along with BGB men for twelve hours from 6 in the evening in two shifts. Meal was served to encourage the villagers’ participation.

On Sunday night at Charkhanpur, a team of 10 with torch light was seen guarding the border along with BGB men.

UP member Arshadul Haque was one in the patrol team.

He said the villagers were encouraged to do the duty as per the proposal of BGB. An elderly named Abdus Sattar was in the team.

A farmer named Md Jewel, 28, said he joined the patrol team at night after working in the field during the day.

Tenth grader student Mintu Sheikh, 16, was in the team patrolling six hours from 6:00pm. He said he was enjoying the duty.

He was doing the duty for country’s sake, Mintu added.