3 schoolboys on the run

Three school students of Dimla upazila have been on the run since February 15, following a case on charge of illegally crossing the border into India.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) filed the case against them and a boat owner on February 15 for illegally entering Indian territory through the Teesta river while boating on Valentine's Day.

The accused boys are Al-Amin, 12, son of Abul Kashem and a Class VII student at Kaliganj High School, Hafizul Islam, 13, son of Abdur Rashid and a Class VII student at the same school, and Amir Hossain, 9, son of Mostofa Mondol and a student at Kaliganj Gendir Chowpothi Hafizia Madrasa. The fourth accused is Khoka Mia, 50, a boat owner. They all hail from Jhar Singheswar village in Purbo Satnai Union Parishad under the upazila.

Nayek Subedar Ali Azam of Kaliganj Border Outpost in the upazila filed the case with Dimla Police Station.

According to the case statement, the three boys entered around 100 metres into Indian territory on a boat through the Teesta river near border pillar No. 794/ 6.

As Indian Border Security Force (BSF) men chased them, they swam back to Bangladesh territory leaving the boat behind, which BSF seized.

As this correspondent managed to contact Hafizul, the boy said he with three friends went boating in the Teesta river for recreation on the occasion of Valentine's Day on a boat owned by Khoka Mia.

At one stage, they unknowingly entered Indian territory, Hafizul said, adding that they fled away when BSF personnel chased them, leaving the boat. Now they are on the run as BGB has filed a case against them and the boat owner, he said.

Strong resentment has been created among the people of the area over the case filed by BGB.

Mofeluddin and Abu Bakkar of Jhar Singheswar village said even elderly people sometimes cannot make out the border line as there is no demarcation and mistakenly enter Indian waters while going by boat on the Teesta river.

 If the boys, while boating in the river for recreation, mistakenly entered Indian waters without bad intention, it is not justified for BGB to file a case against them, they added.

Purbo Satnai Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Latif Khan said BGB could handle the matter with leniency as it was merely a mistake. As a consequence of the case, the boys cannot attend school out of fear of arrest, he added.

Plaintiff of the case Nayek Subedar Ali Azam said he filed the case as per directive of the higher authority.