Bangladesh-Origin Gas Balloon Recovered in Borkhola

A large gas balloon allegedly originating from Bangladesh was recovered from the Subedarbasti area of Masimpur under Borkhola in Cachar district on Sunday morning (January 11), triggering panic and speculation among locals.

According to the locals, the unusually large balloon descended into an agricultural field, drawing immediate attention. Alarmed by its presence, villagers informed the Village Defence Party (VDP), which subsequently alerted the police. Acting on the information, a police team reached the spot, followed by Partha Pratim Das, Senior Superintendent of Police, Cachar.

By the time police arrived, a large crowd had gathered at the site, with residents expressing concerns and drawing various conclusions about the balloon’s origin and purpose. Preliminary observations revealed that the balloon carried the name and motif of a school from the Sylhet district of Bangladesh, along with photographs of three individuals and text written in Bengali.

The school named on the balloon is Ghilachhara Dwimukhi High School, Sylhet, which, according to some social media accounts, recently celebrated its 65th anniversary of establishment.

VDP Secretary Suman Das of Masimpur, Borkhola, said, “Locals started panicking after seeing the balloon as it was from Bangladesh, so they called me to inspect it. I informed the police, and in the presence of the SP, the balloon was taken into police custody for investigation. It had writings in Bengali and photos of three people.”

Police have seized the balloon and initiated an investigation to ascertain how it crossed the border and landed in the area, and whether there are any security concerns linked to the incident.