And like Osman, Shohael Rumy of Noakhali becomes Suhail Rummi of 18, Central Road, Hatirpul, Agartala, Tripura.

“We arrested and handed over these people to the police. We know of networks that take care of everything for them — transit, transport and other requirements,” said Somesh Goyel, an IG for BSF, in Kolkata. “Earlier, we used to regard most of them as poor Bangladeshi students, but now our men have been told the students could be the ones we are looking for.”

The change seems to have yielded results. In 2007 alone, the border guards claim to have intercepted as many as 11 hardcore militants belonging to outfits like Loshkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujhadeen, and Jamaat-ul-Mujhadeen and Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh. Only three militants were arrested in the previous two years. All these arrests were made at the Haridaspur border point.