BSF foils infiltration attempt by large Bangladeshi group in West Bengal

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday said it thwarted a "significant" infiltration attempt by a large group of Bangladeshis along the International Border (IB) in West Bengal, amid an ongoing "high alert", announced due to a turmoil in the neighbouring country.

Officials said the personnel of the force stopped about 120-140 Bangladeshi citizens who were attempting to cross over to the Indian side from multiple locations in the eastern state.

The force is on a "high alert" mode since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka earlier this week.

The North Bengal Frontier of the force issued a statement to quell "rumours" and clarify that there was "no widespread movement of the minority population from Bangladesh towards the Indian border."

"The individuals gathered were primarily motivated by fears of local unrest. The BSF, in coordination with the BGB, and Bangladeshi civil authorities has reassured these individuals of their safety and encouraged them to return to .