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Bangladesh’s border guards have pushed back 10 people, including women and a child, after they were allegedly forced across the frontier by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) through the Kachurgul border in Juri upazila of Moulvibazar district.
According to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the incident took place in the early hours of Thursday when the BSF allegedly attempted to send the group into Bangladesh through a forested area near the Kachurgul border under the Lathitila Border Outpost (BOP).
BGB personnel, alerted by local residents, quickly reached the area and took the group into custody. After verifying their identities and completing the necessary procedures, the BGB later escorted them to another border point and sent them back to India, officials said.
Local residents said they noticed the group wandering near the border and immediately informed the Lathitila BOP, operated by the 52 BGB Battalion based in Beanibazar. BGB members then took the group to a nearby house before completing official formalities.
Videos of the group circulated widely on Facebook on Thursday night. The footage showed several women in tears, pleading to be released.
The individuals claimed they had travelled to different parts of Gujarat in India over the past two years in search of work. They alleged that Indian authorities later detained them and brought them to the Bangladesh border before forcing them across.
The group comprised Riadul Molla, 55, Sabbir Sheikh, 19, Farida Begum, 40, Labiba Khatun, 8, Suba, 32, Dilruba, 38, Rita Begum, 40, Riya Begum, 25, Laili Khatun, 28, and Salma Khatun, 27.
Lieutenant Colonel Ataur Rahman, commanding officer of the 52 BGB Battalion, said the 10 people were detained with the assistance of local residents before being pushed back into India later that night through another border point.
He said the BGB remains on maximum alert to prevent any unauthorised cross-border push-ins and to safeguard the country’s border security.
The BGB commander also claimed the force had received intelligence suggesting that some local residents were assisting the BSF in carrying out such push-ins. He warned that strict action would be taken against anyone found involved.
