Kolkata: The Border Security Force (BSF) South Bengal Frontier on Sunday issued a statement addressing concerns over a drone recovered in Murshidabad district which shares borders with Bangladesh.
The BSF urged the public not to spread rumours along the eastern border, clarifying that the drone was a harmless commercial device used for photography, devoid of any payload capacity. This response comes amid heightened tensions along India’s north-western frontier due to recent drone incursions from Pakistan, which have fueled public unease about aerial security.
The BSF emphasised that the Murshidabad drone, found deep within Indian territory, was a non-lethal device typically employed for event photography. With a limited range of 400–500 metres and a flight time of 15–20 minutes depending on its battery, the drone is equipped with an inbuilt 4K camera but lacks the ability to carry any load. “Such drones are used by our photographers to cover any function or event and have no load-carrying capacity,” the BSF stated, distinguishing it from the advanced drones associated with cross-border threats reported recently.
The recovered drone is learnt to have been handed over to Shamshergunj Police Station and authorities are working to identify its operator.
A district administration official said that the BSF’s clarification aims to quell speculation and prevent the incident from being misconstrued as a security breach, particularly given the sensitivity of Murshidabad’s location along the India-Bangladesh border. Murshidabad had recently witnessed riot over protests relating to the Waqf Amendment Act where three persons died while more than 300 were arrested.
By promptly addressing the issue, the BSF seeks to maintain calm and reinforce trust in its vigilance along India’s eastern frontier, while continuing to monitor and respond to potential threats with precision, said BSF sources, adding that the prevailing Indo-Pak tension has put all security agencies on high alert presently.