By Firstdespatch Desk May 25, 2026
Agartala, May 25 (FD) Despite the Centre’s strong stance against illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and Rohingya settlements along the international border, allegations of negligence against Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have once again surfaced in Tripura’s border areas.
In a fresh incident reported from the bordering Tebaria area under Mohanpur subdivision on Sunday morning, local residents apprehended a Bangladeshi national allegedly attempting to cross the border illegally. However, locals alleged that BSF personnel posted in the area refused to take custody of the infiltrator when approached for action.
According to local sources, residents at Tebaria market noticed a young man moving suspiciously and detained him for questioning. During interrogation, the man identified himself as Billal Shaikh (25), a resident of the Chapai police station area in Rajshahi district of Bangladesh.
Billal reportedly told locals that he had been staying illegally in the Beterbon area near Ram Nagar in Agartala and had come to Tebaria to cross back into Bangladesh with the help of a human trafficker in exchange for Rs 8,000. However, he allegedly failed to establish contact with the trafficker. He also refused to reveal the identities of his associates or the trafficker involved in the operation.
An amount of Rs 10,000 in Bangladeshi currency was recovered from his possession during the detention, sources said.
Locals further alleged that when they contacted the BSF Border Outpost (BOP) in the area and requested personnel to take action, the jawans declined to intervene, stating that they could do nothing in the matter. Following this, residents handed over the infiltrator to the Airport Police Station, where he is currently in police custody for legal proceedings.
Sources in the area suspect that Billal Shaikh may be linked to a cattle-lifting and smuggling network operating along the Tebaria and Bamutia border belt. Several incidents of cattle theft and cross-border smuggling have reportedly taken place in the region in recent months, raising concerns among villagers over border security and surveillance lapses. FD JK