Tension prevailed along the Sukhdevpur border in the Baishnabnagar area of Malda in West Bengal on Saturday following allegations of a pushback attempt at the international border.
According to local sources, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel allegedly attempted to push back a group of individuals trying to infiltrate into the country through the Sukhdevpur border.
The situation escalated when a large number of Bangladeshi nationals gathered on the other side of the border, while residents from the Indian side also assembled near the frontier.
Citizens from both neighbouring countries were seen standing along their respective sides of the border as security agencies closely monitored developments. The BSF has intensified surveillance and deployed additional personnel to prevent any untoward incident.
The Sukhdebpur border had witnessed similar tensions nearly two years ago over the installation of barbed-wire fencing, which had triggered protests and heightened sensitivities between residents on both sides of the border.
“Fencing work is underway there, but in some areas the fencing has not been completed yet. The infiltration issue was reported in those areas, where some people were trying to enter India. The BSF and villagers stopped them,” BJP MLA Raju Karmakar said speaking to IANS.