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Atrocities of BSF/How BGB responds

Atrocities of BSF/How BGB responds
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BSF kills Bangladeshi youth in B’baria border
Published :
May 05, 2025 17:06
Updated :
May 05, 2025 17:06

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A Bangladeshi youth was shot dead by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on the Madla border under Kasba upazila of the district.

The deceased was identified as Shakib, 17, son of Motaleb Hossain, a resident of Madla Guchchagram (Cluster village) in Bayek union of the upazila.

Shakib died this morning while undergoing treatment at Cumilla Medical College Hospital, reports BSS.

The firing incident took place in the border area on Sunday night. An Indian citizen named Sujan Barman, 35, was also shot and injured.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kasba Police Station Abdul Kader said that a Bangladeshi youth named Shakib and an Indian citizen were shot by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on the Madla border in Kasba upazila at midnight on Sunday.

The locals sent the injured Shakib to Cumilla and the Indian national to Dhaka, he said.

Kasba Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Samiul Islam said that Shakib went to the Madla border on Sunday night to bring a stolen motorcycle through an Indian youth, Sujon.

At that time, BSF members patrolling the border opened fire on them. Sujon and Shakib were shot. Later, Shakib was taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital in a critical condition, where he died while undergoing treatment on Monday morning. His body has been brought to his home.​

Time is getting close for accidental death of a few border crosser BSF jawans in "oops sorry, trigger finger" style. Just collateral damage.
 

India’s push-in attempts go on Dhaka sends letter to Delhi
Staff Correspondent 14 May, 2025, 00:11

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Individuals pushed into Bangladesh by the Indian Border Security Force wait in front of the Shaymnagar police station in Satkhira on Tuesday. | New Age photo

The Border Security Force of India is continuing attempts to push people into Bangladesh territory through different bordering areas amid heightened security measures.

A tense situation was prevailing in the bordering areas on Tuesday as several hundred people were waiting in the Indian side to enter Bangladesh in different areas, including the bordering areas of Khagrachari district, according to local people and Border Guard Bangladesh officials.

About 300 people including Rohingyas and Indian nationals were pushed into Bangladesh between May 7 and May 11, the officials of the law enforcement agencies from bordering districts said.

Dhaka has, meanwhile, requested New Delhi to stop any such attempts to push people into Bangladesh territory through different bordering points.

The request was made in a diplomatic communication sent to New Delhi on May 9, a foreign ministry official in Dhaka confirmed.

While talking to reporters following the ninth meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Law and Order, held at the secretariat in Dhaka on Monday, BGB director general Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said that the BSF had been attempting to push 200-300 people from the Indian side, opposite to Khagrachari, into Bangladesh for the past two days.

‘BSF could not push them into Bangladesh as we increased our patrolling and vigilance,’ he said and added that India had chosen the remote areas to push people into Bangladesh.

It is not possible to tackle such incidents with physical presence there, he said.

The BGB chief said that the BSF pushed 202 individuals into Bangladesh on May 7 and eight through the unpopulated areas.

He said that among those pushed in were 39 Rohingyas who had previously gone to India from Bangladesh.

Five of the Rohingyas were found to possess identification cards issued by the UNHCR in India.

A flag meeting was convened regarding this matter and the BSF denied the issue as they did always and Bangladesh’s foreign ministry will formally inform India of the meeting, said the BGB chief.

The push-in began on May 7 when 123 people were forced to enter Bangladesh from the Indian side through different border points in Khagrachari and Kurigram districts amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

New Age correspondent in Satkhira reported that the BSF and Indian Navy on May 9 allegedly pushed 78 people into Bangladesh through the Mandarbaria area under the Satkhira range of the Sunderbans West Forest Zone.

Addressing a press conference at the Shaymnagar police station premises on Tuesday, Bangladesh Coast Guard’s west zone operations officer Lieutenant Commander Abrar Hasan said that 75 of them were Bangladeshi citizens and three were Indian nationals.

He said that 75 Bangladeshis were handed over to their families on Tuesday and three Indians were sent to jail through a court in Satkhira on Monday after filing a case with Shyamnagar police station.

‘Most of them had been living in India’s Gujrtat state for years,’ he added.

The BGB has tightened its patrolling along the borders in Rajshahi division following the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, New Age Staff Correspondent in Rajshahi reported.

The force has also asked the farmers and fishermen not to take their cattle along the borders to feed and not to catch fish in the Padma River at night.

Rajshahi BGB sector commander colonel Md Imran Ibne A Rouf said that they had strengthened their patrolling along the bordering areas of Rajshahi division.

The BGB official said that they had also asked the farmers not to take their cattle along the borders as the cattle might enter Indian territory.

‘We have also asked the fishermen not to catch fish at night as they may trespass into the Indian territory of the Padma River while fishing in the dark of night,’ he added.​
 

Why India’s border ‘push-ins’ are unwarranted
If India’s objective were to combat illegal infiltration, there would have been no need to blindfold and torture these individuals, including women and children, and abandon them in uninhabited terrain along the border.

Kallol Mustafa
Published: 14 May 2025, 12: 54

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The BSF had placed 78 individuals on a ship and abandoned them at Mandarbaria, a remote char in the Sundarbans. These individuals were later rescued by the Coast Guard. Prothom Alo

India’s approach to border management has long been marked by aggression, with frequent reports of the country’s Border Security Force (BSF) resorting to shooting, torturing, or killing Bangladeshi nationals along the border. In recent weeks, this aggressive stance has taken a disturbing turn: a significant number of people have been forcibly pushed into Bangladesh from India.

According to reports published in Prothom Alo, from 4 to 7 May, 167 people were pushed across the border into Bangladesh through five different districts. These included 73 through Khagrachhari, 46 through Kurigram, 23 through Sylhet, 15 through Moulvibazar, and 10 through Chuadanga. Then, on 9 May, the BSF offloaded another 78 individuals in Mandarbaria Char, a remote island in the Sundarbans region of Shyamnagar upazila.

Many of them were severely ill after being deprived of food for days; some bore visible signs of physical abuse, while one had a fractured arm. According to the victims, they were blindfolded, subjected to brutal treatment, and airlifted from Gujarat to Bangladesh.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has confirmed that those pushed into the country include nationals of three countries - Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar.

Among them are long-term Bangladeshi migrants who had lived in India for 20–25 years, often with families, and had obtained Indian Aadhaar cards and other official documents. The Indian authorities reportedly confiscated those documents and forcibly separated individuals from their families before pushing them into Bangladesh.

These push-ins are unlikely to be isolated or accidental. Rather, they suggest a calculated effort by India to exert pressure on Bangladesh's interim administration. This pressure is being exerted in parallel with negative propaganda about Bangladesh in Indian media subservient to the ruling BJP.

There are also Rohingya refugees in the group - some previously registered in camps in Bangladesh, others recognised as refugees in India with valid UNHCR identity cards issued there.

International law and bilateral agreements clearly stipulate that if a foreign national is found to have entered a country illegally, due process must be followed for repatriation. The actions taken by India - bypassing all diplomatic protocols and forcibly pushing people into Bangladesh - are not only illegal but also constitute a gross violation of human rights and international norms.

Bangladesh responded by issuing a diplomatic note of protest to India on 9 May. However, the situation remains tense, with reports indicating that more groups of people are being assembled along the border for further push-ins.

This sudden escalation is not without precedent. In the early 2000s, during the first BJP-led NDA government, push-ins were a common practice. That trend largely subsided following political changes in both countries.

But now, in the wake of Bangladesh’s political transition following the 5 August mass uprising—which led to the fall of the India-aligned Awami League government—India appears to be increasingly putting pressure on Bangladesh.

These push-ins are unlikely to be isolated or accidental. Rather, they suggest a calculated effort by India to exert pressure on Bangladesh's interim administration. This pressure is being exerted in parallel with negative propaganda about Bangladesh in Indian media subservient to the ruling BJP.

Importantly, Bangladesh has not retaliated by suspending India’s access to transit routes or port facilities, despite these being critical to India’s connectivity in the region. Yet, in a unilateral move, India revoked Bangladesh’s transshipment privileges for third-country exports via Indian territory—without any prior notice.

By forcibly expelling Bengali-speaking people and Rohingyas who have resided in its territory for an extended period, India is violating all relevant international laws, norms, and conventions.

Despite protests from Bangladesh, the continued killing of Bangladeshi citizens by BSF and the recent push-ins appear to be part of a broader policy of intimidation and pressure.

If India’s objective were to combat illegal infiltration, there would have been no need to blindfold and torture these individuals, including women and children, and abandon them in uninhabited terrain along the border. India and Bangladesh have several protocols in place for border management. Two key agreements are the Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities of the Two Countries (1975) and the India-Bangladesh Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) of 2011.

Under these protocols, all types of border issues, including human trafficking, can be resolved through dialogue. For instance, under the CBMP, nodal officers have been appointed by both the Indian BSF and the Bangladesh BGB to address issues such as illegal infiltration and human trafficking. Their responsibilities include initiating peaceful resolutions to border-related disputes and informing higher authorities when necessary. It is evident that unilaterally pushing large numbers of people into Bangladesh constitutes a violation of the CBMP.

Such forced expulsion is also illegal under international law and customary practice. Article 13 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states that a person lawfully present in a country shall not be expelled without due process of law.

While this provision formally applies to legal residents, Article 12(4) affirms that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter their own country. According to the UN Human Rights Committee, this right extends even to those lacking legal documentation but who have long resided in a country. As both India and Bangladesh are signatories to the ICCPR, India is clearly violating the agreement by expelling Bengali-speaking individuals who have lived in India for many years.

Furthermore, Article 22 of the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families prohibits the expulsion of any migrant worker or their family members without due legal process. It explicitly forbids mass expulsions, requiring that each case be assessed individually before any decision is made.

Similarly, Article 4 of Protocol no. 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 22(9) of the American Convention on Human Rights, Article 12(5) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Article 26(1) of the Arab Charter on Human Rights all prohibit the mass expulsion of foreign nationals without due process. (Expulsions of Aliens in International Human Rights Law, OHCHR Discussion Paper, Geneva, 2006)

By forcibly expelling Bengali-speaking people and Rohingyas who have resided in its territory for an extended period, India is violating all relevant international laws, norms, and conventions.

Bangladesh should firmly protest these incidents through diplomatic channels and demand the repatriation of illegally pushed Indian nationals and registered Rohingya refugees through lawful procedures. At the same time, border surveillance must be enhanced to prevent such push-ins from recurring. If these illegal push-ins continue, Bangladesh should consider taking the issue to the United Nations.

* Kallol Mustafa, Writer and Researcher

** This article, originally published Prothom Alo Bangla edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat​
 

India must stop border push-ins
India’s action violates international laws, bilateral agreements

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VISUAL: STAR

India's unilateral push-in of around 300 individuals through various border areas of Bangladesh since May 7 is condemnable, as it violates diplomatic norms and established border management rules. Worryingly, it appears that the push-ins may continue. The BGB chief, in a recent briefing, said they learned about another 200 to 300 individuals who had been gathered on the other side of the Khagrachhari border, and that India's Border Security Force (BSF) is trying to push them into Bangladesh. Under the circumstances, the government has rightly demanded an immediate halt to these unilateral exercises by sending a protest letter to Delhi.

According to media reports, between May 7 and May 9, around 300 individuals were pushed in through areas such as Panchhari, Jamini Para, and Khedachhara in Khagrachhari; parts of Moulvibazar; the Roumari char regions of Kurigram; and Mandarbaria island in the Sundarbans. Among them were at least 39 people from the Rohingya community—some had previously been registered in Bangladesh's Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) camps but later crossed into India, while at least five were found holding UNHCR refugee cards issued from India. Three Indian nationals were also found among the pushed-in people. The rest are Bangladeshis who had migrated to India in the last 20–25 years; many have families and children who possess Indian nationality documents. While the BGB has taken steps to send the Bangladeshi nationals to their respective home districts through local administrations, the wider impact of such random push-ins cannot be overlooked.

It is expected that any return of such individuals would be carried out through proper channels, in line with established norms and regulations. But the way India is pushing people through remote, hard-to-patrol border points into Bangladesh violates the 1975 India-Bangladesh Joint Guidelines for border authorities, the 2011 Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), and decisions made during director general-level talks between the BGB and BSF. India's actions on its eastern border also set a bad precedent for its relations with neighbouring countries, especially in light of the recent conflict on its western border. And with its ties with Bangladesh already strained since the 2024 July uprising, such unilateral push-ins may only worsen the situation. Most importantly, these actions threaten our border security, which is totally unacceptable.

We urge the government to strongly raise these issues with the Indian authorities, question why Rohingya people were sent to Bangladesh instead of Myanmar, and, most importantly, why proper procedures were not followed in India's actions. If necessary, the government must involve the international community to put an end to such actions.​
 

Bangladesh fears 'push-in', 'push-back' for 340 people from India
FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
May 15, 2025 22:40
Updated :
May 15, 2025 22:40

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India's Border Security Force (BSF) has reportedly pushed approximately 350 individuals into Bangladesh over the past two weeks, according to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sources.

This surge in cross-border movements coincides with heightened regional tensions following the Pahalgam incident in Kashmir, according to local media.

The BGB has detained 262 of these individuals, comprising 223 Bangladeshi nationals, 19 Rohingyas, and 20 whose identities remain unverified.

Additionally, the Bangladesh Coast Guard apprehended 78 individuals along the Satkhira border, including three Indian nationals by birth, bringing the total number of detainees to 340.

BGB officials have characterised these push-ins as "well-planned and despicable," asserting that the BSF is conducting them in remote, uninhabited areas to evade detection. Despite Bangladesh lodging formal protests and sending diplomatic notes to India, there has been little response from Delhi. In response, the BGB has intensified surveillance and patrols along the border to prevent further unauthorised entries.

The BGB has also indicated that, considering the circumstances, Bangladesh is contemplating reciprocal measures. These developments have raised concerns about border security and the need for effective bilateral communication to address the issue.​
 

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