Agartala, October 4: In a rising wave of cross-border tensions along the Indo-Bangladesh border, a Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was severely injured in an alleged attack by a suspected smuggler on Friday in Tripura’s Sepahijala district.
The injured trooper, identified as Harish Chandra Pandey of the 150th BSF battalion, sustained a deep head wound, leaving authorities concerned over his condition.
The incident occurred near Gate No. 188 in the Dudh Pukur area of Bagber, under the jurisdiction of the Bakshanagar police station.
According to local reports, Pandey and another BSF trooper were patrolling the area when they approached a young man, later identified as Riyad Hossain, for questioning. The youth had allegedly entered the border fence gate on October 2nd but through which he returned was missing, raising suspicions of smuggling activity.
Mother of the suspected smuggler stated that a heated altercation ensued between the BSF trooper and the suspect.
During the confrontation, a round was reportedly fired by the BSF personnel as an attempted to self-defense to control the situation, meantime Hossain allegedly struck Pandey on the head with a bamboo stick. The impact caused a severe 10-centimeter cut, leading to profuse bleeding.
Pandey was immediately rushed to the Bakshanagar Social Health Centre, where attending doctors treated the wound with 15 stitches to stop the bleeding. However, due to the severity of the injury, he was later referred to GBP Hospital in Agartala for a CT scan to check for possible internal damage.
“The cut was deep, and we had to perform 15 stitches. His condition is stable, but further scans are necessary to rule out any complications,” a doctor at the health center reported.
Meanwhile, Riyad Hossain fled the scene following the attack and is currently absconding.
Local police, in coordination with BSF officials, have launched a manhunt to apprehend the suspect.
Authorities have expressed concern over the increasing incidents of violence along the border, with smuggling and illegal crossings posing a persistent challenge to security forces.
In recent months, BSF personnel have intensified surveillance and patrols along the porous border to counter the rising incidents of cross-border smuggling. However, Friday’s attack highlights the dangerous conditions faced by security forces deployed in these sensitive areas.
