Frequent cross-border raids from Bangladesh are putting Meghalaya’s border villages on edge. In the latest case, BSF and police arrested a fifth suspect linked to the armed attack on Rongdangai village, sparking renewed calls for stronger border security and faster fencing work.
In a major breakthrough, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Meghalaya Police have caught the fifth Bangladeshi national allegedly involved in a midnight armed raid on a border village in Meghalaya’s South West Khasi Hills.
Police say the accused was part of a gang of 8–9 armed men who crossed into Rongdangai village around midnight on August 7. The gang reportedly attacked a local shopkeeper and looted cash and valuables before fleeing towards the Bangladesh border.
Villagers, along with security personnel, managed to catch four of the suspects on the spot that night. The latest arrest was made on Saturday night during a joint search operation in the Chibak forest area.
From the suspects, police have recovered a Bangladesh Police ID card, three wireless sets, an axe, a barbed-wire cutter, a knife, three micro-explosives, Bangladeshi taka, and Indian currency.
Officials say the gang’s leader, a Bangladesh Police constable, was injured during a clash with villagers and BSF troops and is currently receiving treatment.
Border fencing work is in progress in the area to prevent such cross-border crimes. Security forces are still hunting for the remaining gang members.
