India pushes in 21 people at Panchagarh border

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has pushed 21 people, including women and children, into Bangladesh through a border point in the Sadar upazila of Panchagarh. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has detained all 21 individuals.

Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Mohammad Badruddoza, commander of the Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion, confirmed the information on Thursday (22 May) morning.

That morning, a BGB patrol team detained the 21 individuals about 2.5 kilometers inside Bangladesh territory from sub-pillar 10 of main border pillar 757 in the Barobari area of Haribhanga Union. This part of the border falls under the jurisdiction of the Joydharbhanga Border Outpost (BOP).

At around 4:15am on Thursday, members of the BSF from the Tiyapara camp in India pushed the 21 people into Bangladesh. All of them are Bangladeshi citizens. Among them are two men, six women, and thirteen children. The legal process to hand them over to the Sadar police station is currently underway.

BGB stated that the detained individuals were interrogated and revealed that they had been living and working illegally in India for a long time. On 21 May, they were arrested by Indian police in Gujarat. Later, they were flown to Kolkata and then taken by bus to the Tiyapara BSF camp. From there, BSF personnel expelled them through the border gate and pushed them into Bangladesh.

Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Mohammad Badruddoza, commander of the Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion, said, “A flag meeting has already been held at the camp commander level. We have asked the BSF why they returned these 21 people illegally. They should have informed the BGB and repatriated them through legal procedures. We will file a case from the BGB side against this act of intrusion.”

Earlier, on 17 May, the BGB detained 11 people from the border areas of Malkadanga in Boroshoshi Union and Danakata in Kajoldighi Kaliaganj Union of Boda upazila. They too had been pushed in by the BSF.