13 Bangladeshis detained by India’s BSF across Sylhet border, locals say

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has detained 13 Bangladeshi nationals near the Tamabil Sonatila border in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet district, locals say.

According to local sources, the Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended on Sunday night and subsequently transferred to Jowai police station in Meghalaya of India on Monday.

However, no formal notification has been filed by the families of the detainees with the Gowainghat or Jaintiapur police stations in Bangladesh.

The detained individuals are reportedly residents of various areas in Gowainghat and Jaintiapur.

Gowainghat police station officer-in-charge (OC) Tofayel Ahmed said, “We have heard reports that several youths were detained by the BSF. Among them, one is from Gowainghat and the remaining 12 are from Jaintiapur.”

However, no official communication has been made to us, and the identities of the detainees remain unknown, he added.

Commanding officer at the 48 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) battalion, lieutenant colonel Md Hafizur Rahman, confirmed hearing about the incident through informal sources.

However, there was no information from their families or BSF, he said.