BSF extending its presence inside villages, 'abandoning' Indo-Bangladesh borders

By Kirity Roy*

This account addresses an incident of negligence by the Border Security Force (BSF) on the Indo-Bangladesh border, which resulted in a robbery affecting a poor villager, Bablu Gazi, from Hakimpur village, under the jurisdiction of Swarupnagar Police Station in the North 24 Parganas district.

The regions of Tarali and Hakimpur villages are located near the Indo-Bangladesh border along the Sonai River, also falling under Swarupnagar police jurisdiction. The BSF personnel at the Hakimpur Border Outpost of BSF Battalion No. 143 ‘D’ Company, led by Commander Sumohan Gosh, are responsible for safeguarding the area. Their primary role is to protect Indian citizens from any threats stemming from neighboring countries.

However, in recent years, the BSF has extended its presence into the villages, abandoning the actual border and establishing numerous illegal and unregistered checkpoints within village limits.

Investigations have indicated that while the BSF personnel set up checkpoints in Hakimpur bus station, located 1 to 1.5 kilometers inside the border, the actual border remains unpatrolled. This has led to increased illegal incursions from Bangladesh, resulting in distress for residents of Hakimpur.

Bablu Gazi has become one of the unfortunate victims in this scenario. His sole source of income is through animal husbandry, owning one cow and one calf. In the early hours of July 31, 2024, a group of trespassers from Bangladesh broke into his home, stole both animals, and escaped. The estimated value of these animals was around 100,000 rupees, and the cow produced approximately 10 kilograms of milk daily, which constituted Bablu Gazi's main income.

He filed a written complaint regarding this incident with the Block Development Officer (BDO) on the same day and also reported it to the Officer in Charge (OC) of Swarupnagar police station at 1:30 p.m. Although the OC accepted the complaint, he failed to register it in the General Diary or initiate a First Information Report (FIR), despite it being a cognizable offense.

Moreover, while BSF personnel from the G branch visited Bablu Gazi's residence on July 31, and police conducted a basic investigation on August 3, no further action has been taken by either entity to address the situation.

Such incidents are the result of BSF negligence and their choice to relocate checkpoints away from the actual border and into the villages. This shift has left the entire border area vulnerable to trespassers and smugglers, drastically affecting the villagers' lives.

The stationed BSF personnel bear responsibility for this theft due to their absence from the Bangladesh border and their potential connections with cross-border traffickers. The police in Swarupnagar, having close ties with the BSF, have also failed to fulfill their duties. Although the BDO received the victim's complaint, no action was initiated.

Consequently, there is an urgent need for National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) intervention as justice is being denied. It should ensure that:

- The BSF be repositioned along the actual border near the Sonai River, as was the practice previously, to ensure the protection of villagers' lives and livelihoods.

- The police conduct a thorough investigation into the case without delay.

- The victim’s family receive adequate protection and compensation. NHRC must investigate this incident and take legal measures to resolve the matter.

---

*Secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM). This article is based on the author's representation to the Acting Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

Search This Blog