The Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday dismissed media reports alleging that Bangladeshi forces had taken control of a 5-kilometer stretch of Indian territory along the International Border, labeling the claims as "baseless and irresponsible."

“The area in question is on the Indian side, in Ranghat village of Bagda block, North 24 Parganas district. The International Boundary (IB) runs along the Kodaliya River, which is well-demarcated by reference pillars on both sides. The status of the IB and the duty pattern of the BSF have remained unchanged for decades,” the BSF South Bengal Frontier said in a statement.

The BSF stated that reports published in a section of the Bangladeshi media “lacked truth and merit,” denying claims that the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) had taken control of the area and initiated 24-hour patrolling using motorised boats and ATVs since December 19. These reports, attributed to Lt. Col. Rafique Islam, the newly appointed commanding officer of the 58 BGB, were dismissed by the BSF as “concocted stories.”

The BSF further clarified that both Indian and Bangladeshi forces continue to perform their duties on their respective sides of the international border, much of which is demarcated by rivers.

“Not an inch of Indian land has been, or will be, taken over by the counterpart. Both the BSF and BGB are peacefully dominating their respective areas in accordance with the 'India-Bangladesh Border Guidelines, 1975', ensuring the integrity of the IB is maintained,” the statement added.

The BSF said the area concerned is unfenced and prone to illegal activities like smuggling and infiltration by Bangladeshi nationals. “Strict measures have been taken to curb such activities, bringing infiltration attempts in the region down to negligible levels,” BSF said.

The BSF emphasised that such “false and fabricated” claims could undermine the goodwill and cooperation between the two forces.