2 Bangladeshi farmers 'picked up by BSF'

Indian Border Security Force allegedly picked up two Bangladeshi fishermen from Forhadpur Nirmal Char area of the Padma river in Rajshahi's Godagari upazila this afternoon.

The two fishermen are Omar Ali, 44, and Abdur Rahim, 55, of Premtoli Kathalbaria village of the upazila, our Rajshahi correspondent reports quoting locals.

The BSF members of Tikna Char camp under BSF battalion-35 entered into Bangladesh territory by a speed boat and caught the fishermen while they were returning home with fishes around 4:00pm, Nayan Ali, a member of Matikata union parishad, said quoting other fishermen.

They BSF men dragged the fishermen, who were aboard a boat, into their speedboat, Nayan said.

When contacted, Lt Col Ferdous Mahmud, director of BGB battalion-1 in Rajshahi said, they are yet to know anything officially on the matter from BSF members.

"Since hearing the incident, we're trying to contact BSF officials. They are yet to respond," he said.

He said relatives of the two fishermen and other witnesses informed the local camp of BGB about the alleged abduction.

He said the zero line between the borders has went through the Padma river and a major part of the river falls inside India.

"Indian fishermen often enters into India while Indian fishermen do the same mistakenly during fishing in the areas," he said.