Shillong, Aug 29: The Border Security Force (BSF) has lodged a protest with Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) after two officials of the former were assaulted by Bangladeshis at Rongara in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills on August 27.
“We have lodged a protest note with the BGB and lodged an FIR with the Meghalaya police,” BSF Inspector General Meghalaya frontier, Inderjit Singh Rana, said on Monday.
BSF officials Bipul R Sangma and Dinanath Rai from Shillong sector were assaulted by Bangladeshis. The two officials are out of danger, BSF informed.
Rana said whenever such incidents happen on the international border, there is a laid down policy on dealing with such unpleasant situations. “It’s a matter of investigation and that is why we have lodged a protest with the BGB. We are not sure who has assaulted them,” he added.
When asked how Bangladeshis could intrude into Indian territory and commit a crime, Rana admitted that there are a lot of gaps on the international border with Bangladesh.
Only 80% of the border with Bangladesh has been fenced and many areas have remained unfenced due to the terrain and other factors. “Smugglers and traffickers try to sneak in through these gaps. However, we are ensuring that we plug these gaps with active policing,” Rana said.
On a query about ‘jihadi elements’, Rana said there were no such reports in Meghalaya. However, the BSF has raised this issue with its Bangladesh counterpart.
Raising concern over jihadis, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said many madrassas in the state are being used by radical elements. (Read: Several Madrassas used as hub of terrorism: Himanta) . Earlier, Sarma had raised the issue of jihadi elements in Assam.
