Armed Bangladeshi Gang Attacks Meghalaya Villager, Nabbed After Midnight Manhunt
In a daring cross-border assault, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Meghalaya Police arrested four armed Bangladeshi nationals who allegedly crossed into Indian territory, stabbed a villager, and tried to drag him across the border. The arrests came after a late-night manhunt.
The incident took place on Friday night in Rongdongai village, South West Khasi Hills, barely a few hundred metres from the Bangladesh border.
According to police, a gang of eight to nine men—armed with knives and at least one firearm—slipped into India under the cover of darkness. Their target was Balsrang A. Marak, a shopkeeper near the frontier.
While Marak was asleep inside his shop, the gang allegedly stormed in, handcuffed him, and began marching him towards Bangladesh. “They would have slit my throat,” Marak later told police, explaining how he broke free and ran into a nearby house as the gang fired shots at him in the dark.
BSF Inspector General O.P. Upadhyay called the attack “brazen,” stating, “We have arrested four of them and will catch the rest. The BSF, police, and villagers are conducting joint combing operations.”
The arrested suspects were identified as Mefus Rehman (35), Jangir Alom (25), Meruphur Rahman (32), and Saem Hussain (30). Three were captured after BSF and police fired warning shots, while villagers apprehended the fourth.
Before being caught, the intruders discarded weapons, Bangladeshi currency, walkie-talkies, chargers, and even an identity card belonging to a Bangladesh police officer—raising suspicions of links to rogue law enforcement elements across the border.
Authorities say the remaining gang members are still on the run.
“This season has seen a rise in cattle smuggling and illegal incursions to loot resources like sand and stone. The riverine border is difficult to guard, and miscreants are exploiting this terrain,” Upadhyay warned.
Security forces have now stepped up surveillance along the Indo-Bangladesh border, deploying specialised teams and advanced monitoring equipment to prevent future intrusions.
