A surveillance drone operated by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) crashed into Bangladeshi territory in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat on Tuesday, triggering a spell of tension in the border area.
The incident occurred between 12:30pm and pm in the Moglibari border area under Burimari Union.
Witnesses claimed the drone, operated by the BSF’s 98 Himalaya Camp located in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, was conducting surveillance and recording video of the border when it suffered a technical fault.
The device flew over a farmer working in his field before falling with a loud crash into a cornfield, around 20 yards inside Bangladesh from main border pillar 841/8S. The noise immediately alerted nearby residents and farmers, causing panic in the vicinity.
Local farmers informed personnel at the Burimari Border Outpost (BOP), and members of the Teesta Battalion (61 BGB) subsequently arrived at the spot to seize the drone and take it into custody.
Following the crash, BSF personnel reportedly increased patrols along the border to recover the device, a move that further heightened local tensions.
While a mechanical failure was cited by witnesses, there are suggestions that the drone may have been neutralised by the Bangladesh Army’s growing Electronic Warfare (EW) platforms.
As part of the Forces Goal 2030 upgrade initiative, Bangladesh has acquired advanced systems enabling effective signal disruption, including the Turkish İLTER J350 Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) procured in 2025.
In April 2026, the Bangladesh Air Force formally inducted two units of the French-made Thales Ground Master 403M radar system to enhance airspace surveillance.
Despite the recovery of the drone, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Md Nazmul Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Patgram Police Station, said he learned about the recovery through social media and noted that the BGB had not formally communicated the matter to the police.
The commandant of the BSF camp has reportedly contacted the BGB regarding the device.
Lalmonirhat has frequently emerged as a potential strategic flashpoint due to its location 135 km from India’s vital Siliguri Corridor.
Tensions in the region have been underscored by recent plans to revive the World War II-era Lalmonirhat Airfield (VGLM) to boost the northern economy.
Although the Director of Military Operations of the Bangladesh Army stated in May 2025 that there are no plans to use the airfield for military purposes, reports of potential Chinese technical involvement in the project have raised concerns in New Delhi.
