Ukil Barman, a farmer from Cooch Behar who Bangladeshis had abducted on Wednesday while he was working on his field that is beyond the fences, was arrested by police in the neighbouring country, his family members claimed on Saturday.

“We have come to know that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) found him and later handed him over to the Bangladesh police at the Hatibandha police station. He was produced in a local court yesterday,” Sailabala, his wife, said on Saturday.

“As far as we know, he has been accused of infiltrating Bangladesh. It is a complete lie,” she added.

On April 16, the BSF in the Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar spotted a group of smugglers. When they tried to stop the smugglers, the latter attacked them, prompting the BSF to open fire. A Bangladeshi smuggler died in the firing, and his body was handed over to the Bangladeshi authorities on Friday.

Soon after the firing, a group of Bangladeshis intercepted Ukil, a resident of Paschim Sitalkuchi village, while he was working in a field.

Shyamal, his father, said: “We live within the fence, but our agricultural land is beyond the fence. This time, we have planted paddy, and the crop needs to be watered twice a day. My son was watering the field when the Bangladeshis forcibly took him away.”

After the abduction, farmers of the village who own land beyond the fences have stopped going to their fields during the past few days.

“We urged the BSF to take up the issue with BGB so that my son returns home. Yesterday, we learned that he was arrested. The BSF could not help us,” the father added.

On Friday, Shyamal and some others demonstrated before a BSF team in the area. “They had assured that my son would be back. We don’t know what is in store for him,” he said.