More 32 pushed in as India continues illegal border acts
Staff Reporter :
Violating international and bilateral agreements, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has forcibly pushed 32 people into Bangladesh over the span of two days, through multiple border points in Lalmonirhat and Panchagarh districts – without any official communication or due diplomatic procedures.
This recurring practice not only undermines the spirit of neighbourly relations but also poses serious humanitarian and security concerns for Bangladesh.
While India is continuing the ‘illegal’ push-ins at night, on the other hand it has been stating that it wants ‘positive and constructive relationship’ with Bangladesh.
Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press briefing on June 12 in response to a question of the journalists said, “Our ties with Bangladesh are well known. We want a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh that is anchored in the aspirations of the peoples of the two countries.”
This duality of actions and speeches does not reflect the spirit of friendly relations between the two countries when Bangladesh has been repeatedly stating to stop such push-ins at night.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, BSF pushed in 12 individuals through three different points along the Lalmonirhat border. In the early hours of the morning, six people – including three Indian nationals and three Bangladeshi citizens – were pushed through the Dangapara border in Sreerampur Union of Patgram upazila.
These individuals had reportedly been staying in Indian tea gardens in the Mekhliganj area of West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district before being forcibly sent back.
Locals spotted them around noon near Komlar Bazar, approximately 1.5 kilometers inside Bangladesh territory, and informed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Members of BGB’s 61 Rangpur Battalion (Teesta-2), from the Sreerampur Camp, took them into custody.
On the same morning, three more individuals were pushed through the Singimari border in Hatibandha upazila by BSF’s 157 Battalion from the Tilak Camp.
BGB quickly apprehended them and handed them over to Hatibandha police. Another attempted push-in through the Purbo Sardubi border of the same upazila was successfully thwarted by BGB and alert local residents.
This pattern repeated itself in Panchagarh district, where seven people were pushed in through the Amarkhana border in Sadar upazila.
According to BGB’s Nilphamari 56 Battalion, these individuals – all Bangladeshi citizens from Jashore and Narail – had previously been detained by Indian police in Mumbai. Following their unauthorised repatriation, BGB handed them over to local law enforcement.
Meanwhile, in a more alarming development, 13 individuals – including four men, three women, and six children – were pushed in through the New Pallathol border in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar on the night of June 13.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Md Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Commanding Officer of BGB’s Moulvibazar 52 Battalion, these individuals identified themselves as Rohingya and claimed to have entered India at various times. They are currently under BGB custody and undergoing identity verification.
These repeated push-in incidents, especially during the dead of night, without prior diplomatic communication or repatriation procedures, clearly violate international law, the Geneva Convention on refugees, and multiple Bangladesh-India border management agreements.
Experts said if any of the pushed-in individuals are indeed Bangladeshi nationals, India is obligated to follow due diplomatic protocols and repatriate them legally and respectfully – not by dumping them across the border in secrecy.
By continuing such unilateral and aggressive practices, India is not only disregarding its responsibilities as a regional power but also damaging the mutual trust and cooperation essential for managing a peaceful border.
Bangladesh’s border authorities have repeatedly raised concerns over these violations, but without a firm diplomatic response, the problem continues.
