Agartala: At least three tribal farmers were abducted at gunpoint and taken to neighbouring Bangladesh by the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants, police said on Monday.
“Four tribal farmers were kidnapped by the heavily-armed and banned militants while they working in their mountainous ‘Jhum’ (slash and burn method of cultivation) field at Gandachara in northern Tripura,” a police spokesman told reporters.
Quoting eye-witnesses, the police official said that the militants took the hostages to Bangladesh through the unfenced border.
“From the captivity of the NLFT rebels, one of the four hostages managed to escape in the afternoon,” the official added.
Tripura police have asked the Border Security Force (BSF) to talk to their counterparts in Bangladesh to rescue the captives.
Those still in the captivity of the tribal guerillas in Bangladesh include, Pradhanjoy, 27, Rabinjoy, 20, and Mahancha, 30.
Senior police officials have rushed to the spot, 185 km north of here, and are keeping in touch with the BSF officials.
The NLFT and the All Tripura Tiger Force, both banned by Indian authorities, have set up their bases in Bangladesh and get support from other separatist outfits of the northeast. They have been demanding secession of Tripura from India.
Tripura shares a 856 km border with Bangladesh. (IANS)
