A 35-year-old tea farmer from West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district was allegedly abducted by a group of Bangladeshi miscreants from a tea garden near the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday, according to local sources and the victim’s family.
The incident reportedly took place in the Kukurjan area of Rajganj block, close to the international border. The victim, identified as Dipankar Gope, is a resident of Tasar Para in Chaulhati, a border village in the district.
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Gope’s family has alleged that the abduction could be linked to an earlier attempted cross-border infiltration incident. According to them, the incident may have been carried out in retaliation after an alleged attempt by a Bangladeshi national to enter India was foiled earlier this week.
The alleged infiltration attempt reportedly took place on August 6 along the Chaulhati border. According to local sources, a Bangladeshi national allegedly tried to enter Indian territory after cutting through the barbed-wire fencing along the border.
The circumstances surrounding Gope’s alleged abduction remain unclear, and authorities are expected to investigate whether the two incidents are connected.
The tea farmer was reportedly working in the tea garden in the Kukurjan area when the incident took place. His family has raised concerns over his safety and has alleged that he may have been taken across the international border.
The incident has raised fresh concerns among residents living in villages located close to the India-Bangladesh border, where agricultural and tea-growing communities often work close to the international boundary.
Border areas in Jalpaiguri and neighbouring districts have previously witnessed incidents involving attempts to cross the international border illegally. The presence of fencing and security forces is aimed at preventing unauthorised movement, although difficult terrain and stretches of agricultural land can pose challenges for surveillance.
In Gope’s case, investigators will have to establish the exact circumstances of his disappearance, identify those allegedly involved and determine whether he was taken across the border.
The family’s claim that the incident was connected to the alleged infiltration attempt on August 6 is also expected to be examined as part of the investigation.
The latest incident comes amid heightened attention on security along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. Villagers living in border areas have frequently expressed concerns over unauthorised crossings and criminal activities in the region.
Authorities have not yet publicly established the identity of the people allegedly involved in Gope’s abduction or confirmed whether he was taken into Bangladesh.
Further details are awaited as security agencies and local authorities investigate the incident and attempt to trace the missing tea farmer.
For Gope’s family, the immediate priority remains his safe return. The alleged abduction has also brought renewed focus on the security concerns faced by residents working and living in villages located close to the international border.
