A 21-year-old Bangladeshi national, Jiban Barman, was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) after swimming across the Korotwa River into India. The incident occurred in West Bengal’s Rajganj, where the man, a student from Thakurgaon Government College in Bangladesh’s Rangpur district, sought refuge after fleeing alleged torture in his home country. He was later handed over to the police for further investigation.
This event follows closely on the heels of another case involving a 17-year-old girl from Bangladesh, who crossed into India the previous day to escape threats and violence targeting her family. The girl, an ISKCON devotee, revealed that her family had been facing persecution as members of the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh. She claimed that fundamentalists had threatened to kidnap her and harm her family, prompting her desperate flight to safety.
Growing Concerns Over Communal Violence in Bangladesh
Recent reports indicate a surge in communal violence across Bangladesh, with the Hindu minority community increasingly targeted. ISKCON devotees have become a particular focus of attacks following the arrest of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das in Dhaka on November 25. Incidents of mob violence, threats, and property vandalism have been widely reported, raising serious concerns about the safety and well-being of minority communities in the region.
The BSF and local authorities continue to monitor the border areas as more individuals attempt to cross into India seeking refuge from violence and persecution.
