Bangladesh released two Indians a day after they were taken away from the Indian side of the border in Rajnagar of South Tripura district. Border Guards, Bangladesh (BGB) handed them over to Border Security Force (BSF) at the flag meeting on Friday.
A group of Bangladeshis kidnapped Uttam Tripura and Haradhan Tripura of Nripendranagar when they were working at a rubber plantation on the other side of the barbed wire fencing on Thursday. The incident sparked off tension on the border forcing the BSF to communicate with the BGB.
Sudan Das, MLA of Rajnagar, took up the issue with South Tripura district magistrate to ensure safe return of the tribal men. BSF was urged to arrange a flag meeting with its counterpart. “Both the men were handed over to BSF at the flag meeting. The men were not physically harmed”, Sudan Das told The Hindu adding that the situation was peaceful in the area.
Nripendranagar on the edge of the border is a state government facilitated colony where 70 landless tribal families were rehabilitated in 1993.
Each of the families was given 1 hectare land for rubber plantation to earn a living.
Mr. Das said there were disputes on the border, but were settled amicably. However, for the first time Bangladeshis resorted to a kidnapping.
Numerous incidents causing tension have occurred along the state’s 856 km border with Bangladesh over past few months.