Panchagarh: Border residents in Panchagarh detained an Indian national on Saturday in what they said was a retaliatory act following the alleged abduction of a 78-year-old Bangladeshi man by members of India’s Border Security Force (BSF).

According to United News of Bangladesh, the Indian national was identified as Dipankar Gop, 35, from the Rajganj area in India’s Jalpaiguri district. A flag meeting between company commanders of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF was convened to address the rising tensions, but no resolution was achieved.

Locals reported that Gop was detained Saturday morning after entering a sugarcane field on the Bangladeshi side near Sub-Pillar No. 12 of Main Pillar No. 742 at the Birajot border in Satmara Union of Sadar Upazila. The detention was in response to the alleged abduction of Bangladeshi farmer Tamiz Uddin, who had gone to the Birajot border area on Wednesday morning to search for his missing cow and was purportedly taken by BSF members from the Chaulhati camp.

In retaliation, locals claimed Gop was caught after attempting to enter a Bangladeshi village and crossing an embankment. They stated that Gop would be handed over to Indian authorities if Tamiz Uddin was returned to Bangladesh.