BSF attempts to push 12 people at Kushtia border

An alleged attempt by India’s Border Security Force to push 12 people into Bangladesh was foiled early Thursday morning by the Border Guard Bangladesh and local residents at the Pragpur border in Daulatpur Upazila of Kushtia.

The incident took place around 5am near border pillar 148/3-S in the Pragpur area along the frontier between India and Bangladesh.

According to local sources and BGB officials, members of the BSF’s 11 Battalion from the Raninagar area allegedly attempted to push 12 individuals – four men, four women and four children – into Bangladeshi territory.

BGB personnel swiftly moved to the border after being alerted, while residents from nearby villages also joined in resisting the attempt. The group remains inside Indian territory.

Pragpur Union Parishad Chairman Ashrafuzzaman Mukul said the individuals were being sent across the border early in the morning, but coordinated action by locals and border forces prevented their entry.

He added that surveillance in the area has been reinforced following the incident.

Subedar Asad Hossain, in charge of the Pragpur Border Outpost, confirmed that the group was not allowed to cross and said patrols have been increased with local support.

The incident comes amid a pattern of similar allegations and push-in attempts reported in recent weeks along parts of the western border, particularly in the Kushtia-Meherpur-Chuadanga belt.

The border vigilance has remained heightened there due to recurring incidents involving irregular crossings and attempted handovers across the frontier.

Meanwhile, the Director General of BGB expressed deep concern during the 57th BGB-BSF Director General Level Border Conference held in New Delhi, particularly over the recent incidents of push-ins of individuals, including Rohingya/Myanmar nationals and Indian nationals, into Bangladesh by BSF.
“The suffering of these ‘pushed-in’ individuals at the border is immense.

Many of them are in distress, suffering from hunger and illness, and include elderly persons requiring urgent medical attention,” Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Director General of BGB, said.

The Director General of BGB reiterated the position of the Government of Bangladesh that any individual verified as a Bangladeshi national would be received expeditiously through established bilateral repatriation mechanisms, in accordance with legal and diplomatic procedures.

He urged the Director General of BSF to take immediate steps to stop such practices and to follow the well-established bilateral mechanisms and protocols for the repatriation of individuals identified as Bangladeshi nationals.

On the other hand, the Director General of BSF urged that all pending nationality verification cases with the Government of Bangladesh be completed and that their early repatriation be ensured.

Both parties agreed that top priority should be accorded to the discharge of responsibilities in accordance with the agreed procedures and established bilateral mechanisms.

They further reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring effective implementation of these procedures in a spirit of cooperation, mutual trust, and good neighbourly relations.