Standing against Indian push-ins: A call for nat’l solidarity

Md Abdullah Al Zobair :

The recent political upheaval in Bangladesh, culminating in the “Monsoon Revolution” that saw the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina regime last August, has dramatically reshaped the dynamics between Dhaka and New Delhi.

While the precise number remains contested, reports from various sources suggest that at least 2,500 individuals have been pushed in across the India-Bangladesh border by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) since the change in government.

This unilateral action by India, bypassing established diplomatic channels, poses a grave threat to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and regional stability, demanding a unified national response.

Bangladesh has overthrown Indian hegemonic rules on 5 August 2024 through the bloodbath of more than 1400 lives and half a million injured by banned Awami League bandits, police, paramilitary and military across the country.

Bangladesh’s biggest neighbor India for their hegemonic rules, conspiracy and incitement has loosen the relationship with the neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives and lastly in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina became fascist in steps through the farcical elections, enforced disappearance, manipulating judiciary, limiting democracy, oligarchs, and compromising national interest with the support of India, thus fall of Hasina is similar to the fall of Indian control here in Dhaka. After loosing control, India increases the disturbance and incitement along the border.

The context for these alleged push-ins appears to be rooted in India’s domestic policies, particularly those impacting minority Muslim and Christian communities. Amendments to the Muslim Waqf Bill, the application of the National Security Act leading to the bulldozing of Muslim settlements, and the reported rise of state-sponsored militant Hinduism have, according to news outlets, severely impacted the lives of Indian Muslims.

Following the perceived “loss” of Dhaka and the outcome of the recent conflict with Pakistan, there are heightened concerns that India is increasingly targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims, labeling them as “Bangladeshi” and deporting them to the border for forced entry into Bangladesh.

Indian human rights organization Maktoob reported disturbing accounts of police and BSF personnel picking up Indian Muslims, illegally detaining them, confiscating their identity documents, and transporting them to border transit camps before pushing them into Bangladesh under the cover of night.

The harrowing testimony of Khairul Islam, a schoolteacher from Assam’s Morigaon district, who recounted being “treated like a thief” and thrown onto “no-man’s land,” underscores the human cost of these actions. Even UNHCR-registered Rohingya refugees in India have been forcibly relocated and pushed into Bangladesh, raising further ethical and humanitarian concerns.

Recently, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has formally raised concerns with India regarding allegations of racial discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, lending international weight to these anxieties. The unilateral push-ins, often accompanied by allegations of torture-including confinement in cages without food and water, confiscation of belongings, and forced transportation to the border at midnight-is a clear violation of existing bilateral agreements. Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Director General of the BGB, has confirmed that despite repeated protests through flag meetings and diplomatic channels, these incidents have regrettably continued.

Such actions by India directly contravene the 1975 India-Bangladesh Joint Guidelines for border authorities, the 2011 Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), and decisions made during Director General-level talks between the BGB and BSF.

They also set a dangerous precedent for regional relations, especially in the wake of other recent geopolitical shifts. With Bangladesh-India ties already strained since the 2024 July uprising, these unilateral push-ins risk further escalating tensions and gravely compromising our border security.

Historically, any perceived aggression from India has galvanized a strong sense of national unity across all segments of Bangladeshi society-military, bureaucracy, political groups, and religious communities. The current wave of push-ins is once again fostering a similar spirit of joint resistance, particularly among border communities and members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Dhaka can no longer afford to remain silent. The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry’s current “timid letter” to New Delhi is woefully inadequate; we need a robust, strategic, and multilateral diplomatic approach. The government must strongly engage with Indian authorities, demanding clear answers regarding the rationale behind these push-ins, especially the rerouting of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh instead of Myanmar, and the consistent disregard for established protocols.

Furthermore, it is crucial to involve the international community by raising this critical issue at the UN, UNHCR, and other international human rights forums to exert global pressure on India. Concurrently, Bangladesh must document and archive every case of push-in, meticulously gathering evidence for potential legal avenues to hold India accountable, and strengthen Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) vigilance to prevent further incursions.

Enhance surveillance along the border and refuse entry to any individual not processed through agreed-upon bilateral mechanisms. Bangladesh cannot become a dumping ground for India’s internal communal issues.

For India to genuinely aspire to be a regional leader, it must cease these disruptive and destabilizing actions. True friendship and neighborhood policy cannot be built on fear, nor can they be guided by domestic electoral calculations or any communal paranoia.

Bangladesh, forged through centuries of resilience against external dominance, must stand united and resolute in safeguarding its sovereignty and national dignity. This is a moment for all political groups to transcend their differences and forge a strong national solidarity against any hegemonic ambitions that threaten our nation’s integrity.

(The writer is a teacher,
and researcher.)