15-05-2025
Bengali farmer ‘abducted' by Bangladeshi miscreants repatriated to India
A farmer from West Bengal's Coochbehar district, who was allegedly captured by Bangladeshi nationals last month, was repatriated to India on Wednesday night (May 14, 2025).
Ukil Burman, an elderly farmer residing in Coochbehar's Sitalkuchi area, was reportedly working on a field near the international border on April 16, when a group of Bangladeshi nationals allegedly abducted him.
He was repatriated on the same day as Purnam Kumar Shaw, a constable of the Border Security Force who was in the custody of Pakistani forces since April 23 after he inadvertently crossed the international border.
Celebrations ensued at Mr. Burman's home in Sitalkuchi, where a large number of his relatives and neighbours had gathered with sweets on the occasion of his return after almost a month.
'I was working in a rice field at that time. Around six Bangladeshi nationals captured me and took me to an unknown location. I tried screaming, but to no avail. They had taken hold of my limbs. I was made to sleep on the floor, but they did not assault me,' Mr. Burman told local mediapersons after returning home on Thursday.
He was reportedly handed over to the neighbouring country's authorities and was in jail in Bangladesh's Lalmonirhat for nearly a month till his return.
Upon his return, Mr. Burman underwent medical tests and was taken to the Sitalkuchi police station briefly before he was brought home to his family.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also addressed the issue of M.r. Burman's return on Wednesday, saying that arranging for his repatriation was the State's priority and that the governments of the two nations are in touch.
In her address, Ms Banerjee also said that a few people have been identified who had allegedly 'assisted' in Mr. Burman's abduction.
'We have flagged some people, the Bibhishan-like traitors who got him abducted. I won't speak on this further. No party has the right to label someone as 'deshi' (national) or 'bideshi' (foreigner). Who got him abducted? He was captured from his own piece of land,' the Chief Minister said.
It is worth noting that on April 16, a few hours before Mr. Burman was allegedly abducted, the Border Security Force in the Sitalkuchi area had fired at a group of Bangladeshi smugglers near the border. One of them had reportedly died.
'While he was in Bangladesh, Mr. Burman was verbally taunted by Bangladeshi nationals who told him he was captured as a form of revenge. While he was in a lot of mental distress, he was not tortured there. He is a Brahmin who abstains from garlic or onion; however, he was compelled to eat the food provided in the jail at Lalmonirhat,' Trinamool leader and former MP Partha Pratim Ray told The Hindu.
Mr. Ray had visited Mr. Burman upon his return. He added that Mr. Burman's land was located in the no-man's-land area across the international border fence.
'Many people here have land in the immediate area beyond the fence, in the no-man's zone. Mr. Burman was captured from there,' Mr. Ray added.
Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday wrote on social media that he spoke to Mr. Burman on the phone and that a delegation of local BJP legislators, including Sankar Ghosh, Baren Chandra Barman, Malati Rava Roy, Sukumar Roy, Dipak Barman and Sushil Barman, visited Mr. Barman when he was presented in court in Cooch Behar.
