BGB foils two more push-in attempts

The Border Guard Bangladesh yesterday said it thwarted separate attempts by India’s Border Security Force to push seven people into Bangladesh through border points in Meherpur and Lalmonirhat.

In Meherpur, BSF personnel tried to push four people into Bangladesh through the Khalpara area along the Buripota BOP border in Sadar upazila early yesterday.

“An attempt to push four people into Bangladesh through the Meherpur border was foiled early this morning. BGB members are maintaining a strict position along the border to prevent any untoward situation,” said Lieutenant Colonel Md Nazmul Hasan, commanding officer of Chuadanga Battalion-6 BGB.

According to locals, the four were seen roaming beyond the zero line on the Indian side of the border. They immediately informed the BGB. Border guards then took a firm position and prevented them from entering Bangladesh.

The group, comprising one man and three women, are now stranded in no man’s land between international border pillars 15 and 16, on the Bangladesh side of the barbed-wire fence.

In Lalmonirhat, BSF personnel also tried to push three people into Bangladesh through the Kalirhat border in Patgram late Thursday night, according to a press release issued by Lalmonirhat Battalion (61 BGB).

The release said members of the BSF’s 156 Battalion took three individuals to a gate near the barbed-wire fence inside Indian territory along border pillar 857/13-S in the Kalirhat BOP area around 12:30am and tried to push them into Bangladesh.

A BGB patrol team intervened and foiled the attempt. BSF personnel then took the three back into Indian territory.

“We thwarted an attempt by the BSF to push several people into Bangladesh through the border,” said Abdur Razzak Mondal, assistant director of Lalmonirhat Battalion (61 BGB).

On Wednesday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that BGB had prevented 36 push-in attempts by BSF since the assembly elections in West Bengal.

He said 2,369 people had been pushed into Bangladesh by the BSF since August 5, 2024. Of them, 2,175 were handed over to relevant police stations, 11 were handed back to the BSF, and 183 were pushed back.