BORDER TENSIONS FLARE IN COOCH BEHAR AS BSF USES STUN GRENADES TO HALT ALLEGED ILLEGAL RIVERBED MINING
October 26, 2026
Tensions erupted along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district after personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly used stun grenades to disperse a group of people suspected of illegally extracting sand, stones and pebbles from the Indian side of the Sanyajan river. The incident, which occurred on Saturday evening near BS Bari village in Mekhliganj block, has renewed concerns over border security, unauthorised extraction of riverbed resources and the potential for confrontations along vulnerable stretches of the international boundary.
According to an official source cited in reports, the incident took place at approximately 5.30 pm on the banks of the Sanyajan river, around 90 kilometres from Cooch Behar town. BSF personnel reportedly intervened after observing a group of suspected Bangladeshi nationals extracting sand and stones from the Indian side of the river. When the personnel attempted to stop the activity, the group allegedly confronted them with sticks and pelted stones. The BSF then used stun grenades in what the source described as an act of self-defence, forcing the group to retreat.
No casualties were reported in the incident, according to the report. Security was subsequently strengthened along the border as authorities sought to prevent further confrontations.
Stun grenades, commonly known as flashbangs, produce an intense flash of light and a loud sound intended to temporarily disorient people. Although designed primarily to incapacitate rather than kill, their use can still cause injuries, particularly at close range. Their deployment in the Mekhliganj incident illustrates the potential for a dispute over natural resources to escalate rapidly into a security confrontation.
Dadhiram Roy, the BJP legislator representing Mekhliganj, said that attempts to extract riverbed materials illegally from Indian territory had repeatedly troubled the area. He maintained that BSF personnel had succeeded in preventing the alleged extraction during Saturday’s incident.
The dispute centres on the Sanyajan river, which runs through a sensitive border region where the international boundary and the location of fencing can complicate access to riverbanks and nearby land. The extraction of sand, stones and pebbles from such areas can become a recurring source of friction, particularly when people cross into territory claimed by the neighbouring country or when the precise circumstances of an incident are disputed.
The latest confrontation also highlights the economic pressures surrounding riverbed materials. Stone is an important construction resource in Bangladesh, which depends substantially on imports to meet domestic demand. However, that broader demand does not establish the circumstances of this particular incident, which will depend on evidence concerning where the group was operating and what occurred when BSF personnel intervened.
As of the time of reporting, the BSF had not issued an official public statement on the incident. The account of the confrontation was based on information attributed to an official source, and the allegations concerning the identities and actions of the people involved had not been independently established in the report.
The episode underscores the importance of effective border surveillance and clear communication between Indian and Bangladeshi authorities. While preventing unauthorised entry and illegal extraction of natural resources remains a security concern, incidents involving force can also generate competing accounts from communities on opposite sides of the boundary. A clear account of the facts is therefore essential to prevent local disputes from developing into wider diplomatic tensions.
With security tightened following Saturday’s confrontation, attention will remain focused on whether the authorities can prevent further unauthorised extraction and maintain stability along the river. The incident serves as a reminder that the management of borderland resources requires both vigilant enforcement and careful handling of disputes in areas where geography, livelihoods and national boundaries intersect.
