Four Indian drones allegedly entered Bangladeshi airspace over the Baraibari border area in Roumari upazila of Kurigram district on Friday night, according to local sources and officials from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The incident reportedly occurred around 8:00 pm on Friday (May 30), when the drones were seen hovering approximately 500 metres inside Bangladeshi territory, near international border pillar 1067 (1S).

Locals in Baraibari and Barbanda villages said the unmanned aerial vehicles remained airborne for about 30 minutes, circling the area and even flying close to a local BGB camp. 

Some residents accused Indian border forces of attempting to intimidate the local population.

“We condemn this aggressive behaviour,” said Firoz Mia, a local elected official of Ward No. 6 under Roumari Sadar Union Parishad. “India has been acting in a hostile manner since pushing back 14 Indian citizens across the border on May 27.”

The Jamalpur BGB-35 Battalion, which is responsible for border security in the region, confirmed the drone sightings through a brief message from its commander Lieutenant Colonel Hasanur Rahman, although no formal statement has been issued by the force.

When contacted by BGB, Indian Border Security Force (BSF) authorities reportedly denied any involvement in the drone flights.

According to BGB sources, only the BSF operates within 200 yards of the Indian side of the border and has exclusive control over the use of drones in that zone. 

Civilians are not permitted to operate such equipment in that sensitive area, raising suspicions that the drones were indeed launched by Indian security forces.

Legal experts have also weighed in. Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan said such actions amount to a clear violation of international law.

“No sovereign state can use the airspace of another without permission. This is a breach of human rights, international norms, and bilateral treaties,” she told Banglanews24.com. “Bangladesh has every right to raise this issue diplomatically, and if necessary, lodge a complaint with the United Nations.”

This is not the first such incident. On May 27, similar drone activity was reported along the same border, following the alleged forced entry of 14 Indian nationals into Bangladeshi territory.

SMS/