West Bengal tea farmer abducted from plantation near border, taken into Bangladesh, details
News of the abduction caused alarm in the surrounding border villages, with residents voicing fears over the safety of those who work in fields and tea gardens near the international boundary.
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A 35-year-old tea farmer from Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal was abducted by a group of men from Bangladesh near the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday, August 8. The victim, Dipankar Gope, hails from Tasar Para village in the Chaulhati border region, and his family suspects the abduction was carried out in retaliation for a foiled border-crossing attempt a few days earlier.
Gope's father meanwhile, has pleaded for his son's safe return, claiming the abduction was retaliatory in nature, tied to the earlier arrest. The BSF says it remains in touch with Bangladeshi counterparts to negotiate his release, while an investigation continues into the incident and any possible links to organised smuggling networks operating across the border.
Reports mention that on August 6, a man from Bangladesh had tried to sneak into India by cutting through the barbed wire fence at Chaulhati. He was caught by villagers along with BSF personnel and later handed over to police, with locals alleging he had ties to a cross-border smuggling racket.
Two days later, on Saturday morning, Gope headed to his six-bigha tea garden situated beyond the fence to spray pesticides. While he was there alone, roughly 20 men allegedly crossed over from Bangladesh and surrounded him. Though he tried to flee, he was overpowered and dragged across the border into Bangladesh's Panchagarh district.
News of the abduction caused alarm in the surrounding border villages, with residents voicing fears over the safety of those who work in fields and tea gardens near the international boundary.
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: A Jalpaiguri tea farmer was allegedly taken into Bangladesh from a border-area tea garden.
— Resonant News🌍 (@Resonant_News) August 10, 2026
🇮🇳🍃🇧🇩 || Dipankar Gope, 35, was reportedly surrounded and taken across the international border by a group of Bangladeshi men.
🚨 The incident occurred near the… pic.twitter.com/kwBZELz7qA
BSF personnel reached the scene soon after the incident and began working to secure Gope's release, including holding a flag meeting with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). As of Saturday night, however, he remained in BGB custody and had not been freed.
Gope's father meanwhile, has pleaded for his son's safe return, claiming the abduction was retaliatory in nature, tied to the earlier arrest. The BSF says it remains in touch with Bangladeshi counterparts to negotiate his release, while an investigation continues into the incident and any possible links to organised smuggling networks operating across the border.