Indian jawan kidnapped by Bangladeshi villagers, freed after talks

A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was allegedly kidnapped by Bangladeshi villagers on Tuesday morning and taken across the international boundary on West Bengal’s Malda border. The jawan was later released unharmed following a flag meeting between Indian and Bangladeshi border forces.

As per sources, the jawan was attempting to thwart an infiltration attempt near Kathalia village when several Bangladeshi criminals dragged him across the border and tied him up.

Senior BSF officials rushed to the Malda border post as soon as the incident was reported. A video that went viral on social media purportedly showed the jawan tied to a banana tree in a remote location across the border for nearly four hours. However, the authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.

The BSF immediately raised the issue with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The jawan was handed over to Indian authorities after a flag meeting between the two sides.

“He was held captive for a few hours, but we took up the matter with BGB. He is now back with us and in good health,” a senior BSF officer from the South Bengal Frontier told PTI.

The BSF is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and has initiated a review of security protocols in the region. No official statement has been issued yet.

With inputs from PTI