BSF Rescues 10 Bangladeshi Nationals, Including Infant, After Padma River Boat Capsizes
Border Security Force personnel rescued ten Bangladeshi nationals, including a newborn infant, after their boat capsized in the Padma River near the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday evening, before handing them over to Border Guard Bangladesh after medical care and formal procedures.
The rescue took place on 12 September 2026 in the river stretch between Murshidabad and Malda in West Bengal and Chapainawabganj on the Bangladeshi side. According to the information available from Bangladeshi accounts, the small boat had left Bakherali, also referred to as Alimnagar Ghat, in Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila around 5:00-5:30 p.m., carrying around 11 or 12 passengers bound for Jahurpur, or Joharpur, in Narayanpur union.
About 20 minutes into the crossing, strong winds and powerful river currents overturned the vessel. The passengers were then swept towards the Indian side of the international border, where BSF personnel stationed near Border Out Post Khandua in Malda Sector spotted them struggling in the current and in immediate danger of drowning.
The alert troops of the BSF’s 71 Battalion responded with a speedboat and brought all ten people ashore after sustained rescue efforts. Some Indian reports also said a speedboat was sent from the Taranagar area in Lalgola, in Murshidabad district, to assist in the operation.
Among those rescued was an infant whose age was reported differently by the two sides: the BSF said the child was about 30 days old, while Bangladeshi sources put the age at around 20 days. The baby was said to be in critical condition on recovery, received immediate first aid and was moved to the nearest government hospital. The infant’s condition later stabilised and was described as normal. The other survivors were also given medical evaluation and primary treatment.
The BSF said the group comprised residents of Joharpur village in Bangladesh who had been travelling from Chapai Nawabganj to Joharpur when the accident occurred on the Padma, the river known as the Ganga on the Indian side. Bangladeshi reports identified the rescued as Russel, 26; Ibrahim, 50; Sawdagar, 40; Ibrahim, 60; Sakhina, 45; Nilufa, 35; Tania, 22, and her infant; Sanaullah, 9; and Al Amin, 9. The reports said they were from Jahurpur Bokripara in Narayanpur union.
One passenger, identified as Wasim, 25, was said to have swum back to Bangladeshi territory. There were also conflicting accounts on whether another passenger, Mostafa, 60, remained missing. Some Bangladeshi reports said he had not yet been traced, while other local accounts suggested that all those on the boat had been accounted for. Search efforts were reported on the Bangladeshi side.
After the rescue and completion of the required formalities, the BSF handed over the ten Bangladeshi nationals to troops of the 53 BGB Battalion around 10:00 p.m. on 12 September at the Faridpur border. The transfer took place after a company commander-level flag meeting. Lieutenant Colonel Kazi Mustafizur Rahman, commanding officer of the 53 BGB Battalion, confirmed the handover. The survivors were later reunited with relatives in the presence of local public representatives.
In its statement, the BSF described the operation as swift and courageous, saying its personnel noticed several people struggling in the strong river current and at risk of drowning before launching the rescue by speedboat and coordinating their safe return to BGB counterparts. The incident again drew attention to the hazards faced by small boats on the Padma-Ganga stretch of the West Bengal-Bangladesh border, where sudden weather changes and strong currents regularly make river travel dangerous.
Both sides treated the episode as a rescue and repatriation matter rather than an infiltration case.
