Majhdia, Jan. 25: Border Security Force (BSF) has raised concerns about border security after discovering three underground bunkers in Nadia’s Majhdia, less than two kilometers inside Indian territory along the porous Indo-Bangladesh border. A fourth, incomplete bunker was also found nearby. The discovery comes amid heightened tensions in Bangladesh following recent political upheaval, including the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, which has reportedly led to increased anti-India activity in the region.
The bunkers were stocked with a significant quantity of Phensedyl, a cough syrup commonly abused as a recreational drug in Bangladesh and frequently smuggled across the border. BSF officials seized 62,200 bottles of the drug, estimated to be worth ₹1.4 crore. While the presence of Phensedyl suggests smuggling activity, BSF officials are investigating the possibility of a more serious motive behind the bunkers’ construction.
“This is a serious matter and requires thorough investigation to determine if there are any hidden motives behind constructing these storage facilities, which appear to have been created by smugglers,” a senior BSF officer stated. A BSF spokesperson in Calcutta added, “We are working to uncover more details about this complex smuggling network, which might lead to significant revelations.”
Despite the discovery on Friday, a formal investigation had not begun as of Saturday evening, as the BSF had not yet filed a complaint with the local police. “We have not received any complaint from the BSF so far. We are awaiting their communication,” said Amarnath K, Superintendent of Police, Krishnanagar Police District.
Police have initiated a search for Susanta Ghosh, alias Lal, a known smuggler from the area whose residence is near the bunker site. Ghosh has been in hiding since last year after being implicated in a Phensedyl smuggling attempt. Local sources claim Ghosh recently purchased the land where the bunkers were found, though this remains unverified. Even Sujata Halder, a local panchayat member, confirmed she did not know the land’s owner.
The discovery of these underground structures in Naghata, a populated area near a college, has caused concern among residents. However, both the police and BSF deny any intelligence failure, attributing the discovery to their coordinated efforts.7 Neither agency has yet determined when the bunkers were built or identified the landowner.
The BSF’s 32nd Battalion, based at the Tungi border outpost, conducted the raid on Friday, uncovering the three completed bunkers, described in official BSF communications as “storage tanks.”
The incomplete bunker was found on Saturday near the same location. “Two of these storage tanks were concealed within dense vegetation, while one was hidden beneath a makeshift hut with corrugated iron sheets,” said Nilotpal Kumar Pandey, DIG and spokesperson for the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier.
The rectangular bunkers, approximately 15 feet high and 10 feet wide, were constructed with brick walls and metallic covers with locking mechanisms and were buried deep underground. “The bunkers were camouflaged by vegetation, making them difficult to detect,” a BSF official explained.
The discovery has sparked a political debate. The BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress government of hindering BSF operations in extended areas and criticized the police for failing to prevent smuggling activities in a populated area. “The location is near Majhdia town, yet the police seemed unaware of the bunkers’ construction in a residential zone. It was solely due to the BSF’s intelligence that these structures were uncovered,” said BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar. The BJP also questioned how the bunkers went unnoticed by the two civic police volunteers stationed in Naghata.
Superintendent of Police Amarnath K rejected accusations of intelligence failure. “If someone digs a pit behind their house, which is not visible to others, how can a civic police officer be expected to notice? This is not a matter of intelligence failure but a success, as the operation was executed. Civic police do not have a sixth sense,” an over smart SP claimed rubbishing the allegations of intelligence failure despite the fact that his men had no idea how and when bunkers were dug and “tank” like structures were fabricated and installed. “The entire job of making the bunkers took at least a week time. Moreover, the cache of Phensedyl was not stockpiled just in a day. So, the claim of SP sounds ridiculous and very stupid”, a BSF official said.
Police suggest the Phensedyl found in the bunkers may be an older, unsold batch. “We suspect that the consignment owner paid someone to use the land to hide the unsold items,” the SP added.