Missing Assam Man Detained In Bangladesh For Illegal Entry, Smuggling Drugs

A 35-year-old man from Assam's Sribhumi district, who went missing on Thursday, has been found in Bangladesh by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The person identified as Balai Namasudra is a resident of Gobindapur village in Sribhumi district.

BGB claimed that the Indian man was smuggling drugs and arms into Bangladesh.

According to Balai's wife, Mamata Namasudra, he used to go fishing near the border pillar every day, and on Thursday morning, around 5:30 am, he went to collect the fish in the net he had placed there the previous evening.

Mamata said that later on Thursday, someone from Bangladesh called her on WhatsApp and asked for photocopies of Balai's voter ID, Aadhaar card and passport, if possible.

"The person told me that Balai has been caught in Bangladesh for entering there illegally and he will be sent back after basic documentation, for which these documents were important, and I shared them through WhatsApp," she said.

According to the BGB, the Indian resident was caught at the Kumarshail border area in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar on August 27. During a special BGB operation, they found a foreign-made pistol, two rounds of .22-bore ammunition and 500 Yaba tablets from him.

The additional superintendent of police (crime), Sribhumi, Trinayan Bhuyan, said on Saturday that the police, after receiving a missing complaint, reached the area and started investigating. However, since it was outside the fencing, they co-ordinated with the Border Security Force (BSF).

Locals in Gobindapur village said that nearly 8 years back, another resident from the village, Binanda Namasudra, was similarly detained by the BGB and spent one year in Bangladesh before he was released.