BSF withdraws 6 individuals from Meherpur border

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has withdrawn six members of two families from the Tetulbaria border area in Gangni Upazila of Meherpur, following a botched "push-in" attempt.

The individuals, who had been stranded in no-man's-land near the barbed-wire fencing since Saturday morning, were taken back into Indian territory by the BSF after 3am on Saturday night.

The standoff began early Saturday when BSF personnel attempted to illegally push seven individuals into Bangladesh. The move was thwarted by fierce resistance from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel and local villagers, leaving the group stranded near a jute field along the border.

The group initially consisted of three men, three women, and a child; however, one woman was taken back by the BSF at midnight on Saturday, while the remaining six individuals were left exposed to the elements until the early hours of Sunday.

A battalion-level flag meeting was held between the two border forces on Saturday evening to resolve the crisis, but it initially ended without any immediate resolution.

Local residents remained on high alert alongside the BGB, patrolling the border until the BSF finally extracted the remaining six people. Assistant Director of Kushtia 47 BGB Battalion, Md. Nurul Huda, confirmed that the BSF withdrew the individuals after 3am, adding that the border situation is now stable and fully under control.