Murshidabad/Malda (West Bengal) / Chapainawabganj, September 13, 2026 — Personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) rescued ten Bangladeshi nationals, including a weeks-old infant, three other children, three women and four men, after their boat capsized in strong currents on the Padma River on Saturday evening. The survivors were swept toward the Indian side of the international border and were later handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) following medical attention and formalities.
The incident occurred on the evening of 12 September 2026 near the India–Bangladesh border. According to Bangladeshi accounts, a small boat carrying about 11 or 12 passengers left Bakherali (or Alimnagar) Ghat in Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila around 5:00–5:30 p.m., bound for Jahurpur (Joharpur) in Narayanpur union. Approximately 20 minutes into the crossing, strong winds and powerful river currents overturned the vessel.
Alert troops of the BSF’s 71 Battalion, Malda Sector, deployed near Border Out Post Khandua, spotted several people struggling in the current and at risk of drowning. They launched an immediate rescue using a speedboat. After sustained efforts, all ten persons were brought ashore. Some Indian reports also referred to a speedboat being sent from the Taranagar area in Lalgola, Murshidabad district.
Among those rescued was an infant reported by the BSF as about 30 days old and by Bangladeshi sources as about 20 days old. The child was in critical condition, received immediate first aid, and was taken to the nearest government hospital. The infant’s condition later stabilised and was described as normal. The remaining survivors also received medical evaluation and primary treatment.
The BSF identified the group as residents of Joharpur village in Bangladesh who had been travelling from Chapai Nawabganj to Joharpur when their boat capsized while crossing the Padma (known as the Ganga on the Indian side). They were swept into Indian waters by the current. Bangladeshi reports named the ten as Russel (26), Ibrahim (50), Sawdagar (40), Ibrahim (60), Sakhina (45), Nilufa (35), Tania (22) and her infant, Sanaullah (9) and Al Amin (9), all of Jahurpur Bokripara in Narayanpur union.
One passenger, identified as Wasim (25), swam back to Bangladeshi territory. Some Bangladeshi reports stated that another passenger, Mostafa (60), remained missing; other local accounts suggested all who were on the boat were accounted for. Search efforts were reported on the Bangladeshi side.
After completion of necessary formalities, the BSF handed the ten nationals to troops of the 53 BGB Battalion around 10:00 p.m. on 12 September at the Faridpur border, following 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 an official statement, the BSF described the operation as swift and courageous. Personnel “noticed several persons struggling in the strong river current and at risk of drowning,” launched a speedboat rescue, and later coordinated the safe return of the group to BGB counterparts. The episode underscored routine humanitarian coordination between the two border forces along a riverine frontier where sudden weather and currents frequently endanger small boats.
The Padma–Ganga stretch along this sector of the West Bengal–Bangladesh border remains hazardous for local river traffic, particularly in unsettled weather. Both sides treated the incident as a rescue and repatriation matter rather than an infiltration case.
