Comilla Correspondent: India’s Border Security Force (BSF) returned 2 Bangladesh police personnel nearly 15 hours after they were detained by Indian citizens after crossing into Indian territory through the Brahmanpara border in Comilla.

They were handed over at around 1:30pm on Friday following a battalion commander-level flag meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF at the Shashidal border in Brahmanpara upazila, according to a BGB press release.

The 2 released personnel are Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Imran Hossain and Constable Rohit Dewan of Brahmanpara police station. Officer-in-Charge (OC) Faruk Hossain of the police station confirmed the matter.

Commanding Officer of Sultanpur Battalion (60 Battalion) Lt Col SM Shariful Islam, Shashidal Border Outpost Commander Subedar Mohammad Takbir Hossain, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Debidwar Circle) Md Shahin and Brahmanpara Police Station OC Md Faruk Hossain attended the meeting.

According to police sources, a police team went to an area near border pillar No 2059 in Ashabari, Shashidal union, Brahmanpara upazila, at around 10:30pm on Thursday, October 15, to conduct a drug recovery operation.

While chasing a suspected drug trader, Constable Rohit Dewan unknowingly crossed the border and entered Indian territory. Several Indian residents subsequently detained him and handed him over to the BSF.

When ASI Imran Hossain attempted to secure his colleague’s release, he was also detained. Police and senior BGB officials then began contacting Indian authorities to secure the return of the 2 personnel.

Earlier, at a press conference at the BGB headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, at 11:30am on Friday, Lieutenant Colonel Md Mahbub Murshed Rahman, director of the BGB, said formal communication had taken place with the BSF.

He also said the 2 police personnel were unharmed.They were handed over through a flag meeting between the BGB and BSF at Main Pillar No. 2057 area of ??the Narayanpur border of the upazila at around 1:30 pm on Friday (October 16).

They are - Constable (Cong/2166) Rohit Dewan of Brahmanpara Police Station and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Md. Imran Hossain.

Present at the flag meeting were Lieutenant Colonel SM Shariful Islam, ASC, Company Commander of Sultanpur Battalion (60 BGB) Shashidal BOP; Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shahin of Debidwar Circle; OC of Brahmanpara Police Station Md. Faruk Hossain and Shashidal BOP Commander Subedar Mohammad Takbir Hossain.

Police said the incident took place at around 10:30 pm on Thursday (October 15) in the pillar area of ??the Ashabari border of the upazila. While chasing a drug dealer during a drug recovery operation, Constable Rohit Dewan crossed the border and entered India. At that time, Indian nationals detained him. Later, when he tried to rescue him, ASI Md. Imran Hossain was also detained.

Later, communication and handover process began between BGB and BSF to bring back the two detained policemen. As a result, they were brought back to Bangladesh through a flag meeting on Friday afternoon.