Border tensions escalate: BSF killings, pushbacks spark outrage in BD
Diplomatic Correspondent :
Tensions between Bangladesh and India have flared anew following two border killings and multiple forced pushbacks by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), raising fresh concerns about civilian safety, international border protocols.
In separate incidents, two Bangladeshi nationals were shot dead and two others injured in Chapainawabganj and Feni districts after alleged BSF gunfire along the border.
Meanwhile, BSF pushed back 26 individuals – including women and children – into Bangladeshi territory in two separate incidents in Sherpur and Moulvibazar districts.
In the early hours of Thursday, around 4 am, BSF personnel from the 71st Battalion stationed at Daulatpur camp reportedly opened fire on a group of 10 Bangladeshis who had crossed the Shingnagar border in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj.
Two individuals – Selim, 25, and Sumon, 28 – were injured near border pillar 164/5-1S. While both were rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) later confirmed only Selim’s injury.
BSF authorities, however, denied responsibility for the gunfire in a statement issued by Lt. Colonel Fahad Mahmud Rinku, commander of BGB’s 53rd Battalion.
Just hours later, a more deadly encounter took place near the 2164/3-S border pillar under Guthuma BOP in Parshuram upazila of Feni. According to BGB and local sources, BSF opened fire as three Bangladeshi men attempted to cross into Indian territory.
Two men – Liton, 32 and Md Millat Hossain, 21, – were killed. Millat died at Feni General Hospital after locals rescued him, while Liton was reportedly taken away by BSF and later confirmed dead in India. The third man, Md. Afsar (30), remains hospitalized in Chittagong.
The border zone where the shooting occurred is known for smuggling activity involving residents from both sides.
Nevertheless, BGB officials condemned the use of lethal force, with Lt Colonel Mohammad Mosharaf Hossain of the 4 BGB stating, “Border shootings are unacceptable. We will lodge a strong formal protest through diplomatic channels.”
Adding to the tension, BSF also pushed back 26 individuals – including women and children – into Bangladeshi territory in two separate incidents in Sherpur and Moulvibazar.
Around 1:15am Thursday night, 21 Rohingya refugees, including 5 men, 5 women, and 11 minors, were pushed through the Nakugaon border in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur district.
BGB personnel under Hatibagar camp intercepted them and temporarily housed them at a local school.
The group, belonging to six families, had originally fled the Balukhali Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar in 2017 and were working in Jammu and Kashmir.
They were arrested during a police raid in India a month ago and handed over to BSF, who then forcibly returned them without prior coordination with Bangladeshi authorities.
Lt Colonel Mehedi Hasan of BGB Battalion 39 confirmed the incident and stated that further legal procedures are underway after verifying the identities of the returnees.
On the other hand, BSF pushed five more Bangladeshis – four men and one woman – through the Kumarshail border in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar on Friday morning.
The group was apprehended by a BGB patrol under the Latu Border Outpost around 5:15am. The individuals confessed to illegally entering India through various border points seeking work.
They were returned by BSF without notice, a move in violation of bilateral border management agreements.
Under existing agreements between Bangladesh and India, border management is to be handled through bilateral dialogue, joint patrols, and proper repatriation processes.
Forced pushbacks and unilateral actions such as cross-border shootings or deportations without prior coordination violate international norms and bilateral treaties.
“These are not isolated incidents,” a senior BGB official noted. “This pattern of pushbacks and border shootings reflects a growing disregard for protocol and raises the risk of escalation.”
The recent spate of deadly shootings and unlawful deportations has triggered public outrage and mounting pressure on the Bangladeshi government to respond firmly.
Rights groups and civil society leaders have called for an immediate review of border policies, joint investigations into the killings, and greater accountability from both sides.
Regarding the border killings, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain recently delivered a strong message: “Even if someone breaks the law on the border, no security force has the right to shoot and kill. Those who do so should be held accountable under Indian law.”
Dismissing any suggestion of government leniency on the matter, he said, “Not at all. We’ve been very clear – there is no legal or moral justification for the shooting someone dead over a border violation. We have regularly voiced our protests.”
“This is a serious violation of human rights and international norms,” he added.
The foreign adviser further said, “Those who are committing such acts must be tried under Indian law. We have consistently protested against such border killings.”
Regarding the ongoing push-in attempts, the adviser noted, “There is no need for us to panic. These people are Indian citizens. India must take responsibility and bring them back. Even West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has voiced concerns over this.”
He reminded that Bangladesh and India have an agreed mechanism for handling such cases.
“We’ve told them repeatedly-submit a list, we’ll verify. If they’re our citizens, we’ll take them back. We’ve already returned several people this way. But India must stick to the official process,” he added.