Assam: Tensions escalate at Mankachar border as BSF fires warning shots amid repatriation of 14 Bangladeshis

Tension escalated along the Indo-Bangladesh international border in the Thakuranbari area of Mankachar on Tuesday morning following an alleged confrontation between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bangladeshi Border Guards (BGB). The BSF was allegedly forced to fire four warning shots into the air to disperse a swelling crowd and de-escalate the situation.

The incident unfolded during a repatriation operation in which Indian authorities were attempting to push back 14 Bangladeshi nationals who had reportedly entered Indian territory illegally. The Bangladeshi forces, however, allegedly intervened near the international border’s zero line, obstructing the handover and igniting tensions.

According to official sources, BGB personnel not only confronted the Indian BSF in a heated verbal exchange but also crossed into the zero line area—an internationally sensitive zone meant to remain neutral. The situation further intensified as hundreds of Bangladeshi civilians converged at the zero line in support of the BGB’s intervention.

To prevent the escalation from spiraling into a full-blown clash, BSF troops resorted to aerial warning shots, successfully diffusing the crowd and restoring relative calm.