India’s Border Security Force (BSF) tried to push 10 people, including women and children, into Bangladesh through the border in Panchagarh Sadar upazila. But Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) stopped them before they crossed, leaving the people stranded in the no-man’s-land between the two countries. As of the time of writing, they had been there for about 12 hours. BGB said the 10 were positioned on the Indian side, about 20 yards from the Bangladesh part of the no-man’s-land.
Early on Friday, the BSF tried to push the 10 people across the Barbari border in Hanrivasa union of Sadar upazila. The area falls under border pillar 758/5, in the Barbari BOP of the 56 BGB Nilphamari Battalion, opposite the Pradhanpara area of India under the BSF’s 93 Tiapara camp. BGB said that early in the morning the BSF opened the gate in India’s border fence and pushed them toward Bangladesh; when a BGB patrol stopped them, BSF members moved the people back inside India. They are now positioned on the Indian side, about 20 yards from the no-man’s-land. Patrol teams of both BGB and BSF remain on alert on both sides to control the situation.
Lieutenant Colonel Md Sirajul Islam, commander of the 56 BGB Nilphamari Battalion, said: “The BSF tried to push 10 men, women and children into Bangladesh opposite our Barbari camp. Although a company-commander-level flag meeting was held on the matter, the BSF refused to take them back. They are currently positioned inside Indian territory.” He said the BSF had claimed at the meeting that the 10 were Bangladeshi citizens, but that whether they are Bangladeshi has not yet been confirmed, so they were not taken in. Pushing people across the border this way, he added, is an irregular step, and BGB has stepped up round-the-clock surveillance and patrols to prevent any push-in or illegal entry. The BSF has since moved the group about 50 yards inside Indian territory.
Separately, people had reportedly been gathered in the Ghughia Anarpur area of Bangabari union. On Friday (5 June) afternoon, Robiul Islam, assistant director of the 16 BGB (Naogaon Battalion), confirmed the matter, saying a company-commander-level meeting between BGB and BSF was held at that border on Friday morning but ended without a decision; the BSF said it was awaiting a decision from higher authorities. On Thursday night, BGB carried out border patrols with local residents in five border areas of the upazila and remains on alert against push-in. Earlier, on Thursday morning, an attempt had reportedly been made to push 28 men, women and children into Bangladesh through the same border.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report