BGB Alleges BSF Pushing Indians into Bangladesh at Night
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Region Commander of the South-West Region Brig Gen Mahmudul Hassan said the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) is pushing people from various regions of India towards Bangladesh.
Brig Gen Hassan added, “They have border roads along the barbed wire fence, and there are gates at various points. At night, they bring people in large vehicles via the border road, turn off the lights, open a gate, and push the people towards Bangladesh.”
For several weeks, tension has simmered in border areas over “push-ins” or “push-backs”. Between the end of May and the first half of June, BGB reported that the BSF attempted to push at least 200 people towards Bangladesh at 20 different points.
In every instance, BGB members and local villagers united to obstruct these entries. Brig Gen Hassan noted that a consistent pattern precedes these actions: “Before every push-in, the lights at the Indian border in that area are switched off; this is the biggest signal.”
Humanitarian Crisis in No-Man’s Land
On 2 June, a border road became a “tourist spot” as locals gathered to witness the plight of those stranded in the “no-man’s land” near Sadipur and Raghunathpur in Benapole, Jashore. During the intense heat, a group of 10 to 12 individuals remained stranded for over 36 hours.
BGB alleged that the BSF pushed them through a gate at midnight on 31 May, but BGB members used megaphones and torches to block their entry, leaving the group trapped between the fences.
A similar situation occurred at the Bangabari border in Gomostapur, Chapainawabganj, on 7 June. BGB alleged an attempt to push in 28 people during the early hours of 3 June. After two days of negotiations and several flag meetings, BSF eventually turned off the lights on the night of 6 June and took the individuals back inside the Indian border.
BGB has intensified surveillance across the south-west, including Satkhira, Jhenaidah, Jashore, Naogaon, and Panchagarh. Commander of the Naogaon Battalion Lt Col Ariful Islam Masum explained their strategy: “We began regular announcements via megaphones at local schools, mosques, and markets, and through discussions, we informed the locals which signs to look for that indicate a potential push-in.”
This community involvement has proven effective. In Bangabari, a guard named Aminullah provided the first alert when the lights were cut. His family, including several women, were the first to block the 28 individuals arriving from the Indian side.
Aminullah’s sister stated, “I woke up around 2:30 at night and saw several men and women trying to enter our (border) side. While the BGB could stop the men, they could not touch the women to prevent them. Then some of us stopped their women and pushed them back towards India.”
Similar resistance has been seen in Lalmonirhat, where villagers charged at BSF members, and in Jamalpur, where locals “chased” BSF personnel back following a heated argument with the BGB. Officials state that the sheer presence of large numbers of civilians often deters the BSF from attempting a “push-in”.
BSF’s Denial
While the BSF has issued no official statement, they have denied the allegations during meetings. Brig Gen Hassan said, “BSF’s explanation is that they are not involved in these push-ins and do not know how these people reached this side of the zero line. They believe those stranded in no-man’s land are Bangladeshi citizens.”
Source: BBC Bangla (adapted)