Residents of Jamalpur’s Bakshiganj and Dewanganj border areas are spending sleepless nights guarding the frontier to prevent any push-in incidents. Groups of young men stand watch at night with flashlights and bamboo sticks, exchanging information via mobile phones. Even during the day, they remain on alert as tension along the border with India’s Meghalaya and Assam continues. The atmosphere in these villages resembles a state of constant vigilance, with hundreds gathering within minutes whenever rumors or signs of unusual activity appear.

Most locals depend on farming, day labor, fishing, or small businesses, but their livelihoods are being disrupted by the need to patrol the border. Many report physical and mental exhaustion from balancing work and night watch duties. Families, especially women and children, are living in anxiety as men spend nights guarding and rush to the border during the day when alerts arise.

Local youths are voluntarily collecting and sharing information with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) when they notice suspicious movements. The prolonged tension has reduced productivity and affected normal life across the border villages.