Atrocities of BSF/How BGB responds

[Saif]

India's unilateral 'push-ins' in Bangladesh a blow to already strained ties

India must respect international norms in border conduct

www.thedailystar.net

India's unilateral 'push-ins' in Bangladesh a blow to already strained ties
India must respect international norms in border conduct

VISUAL: STAR

We strongly protest India's action of pushing at least 123 individuals, including Rohingyas and Bangla-speaking people, into Bangladesh through the Kurigram and Khagrachhari border points. Reportedly, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has detained these individuals and is currently verifying their identities, as they possess no IDs or passports. Furthermore, the BGB has issued a high alert along the border and lodged a strong protest note with India's Border Security Force (BSF), advising against such push-ins.

Flag meetings with the BSF have also been requested at various levels. Meanwhile, the Police Headquarters has alerted the superintendents of police in 31 bordering districts to ensure that our national security is not compromised amid the escalation of the India-Pakistan conflict. At a time when tensions between India and Pakistan have reached their highest point in years, it is shocking that India would choose this moment to push individuals into Bangladesh without consulting the Bangladeshi authorities.

We must say that there is no basis in international law for such unilateral "push-ins." In fact, it is entirely contrary to accepted diplomatic norms. Why did India not consult the Bangladeshi government before deciding to send these people? This is a question Bangladesh must raise. At the same time, our border security forces must remain on high alert.

Out of these individuals, 44, including 35 Rohingyas, were detained from the Roumari and Bhurungamari upazilas of Kurigram—30 in Roumari and 14 in Bhurungamari. Meanwhile, in Khagrachhari, at least 79 additional Bangla-speaking individuals were detained after being pushed in through three border points—27 at the Shantipur border in Matiranga upazila, 22 at the Taitong border in Dighinala upazila, and 30 at the Panchhari border in Panchhari upazila. According to a resident of Shantipur who had sheltered one of the individuals arriving from India, these people were flown from Gujarat to Agartala and then forcibly pushed across the border. They were also reportedly warned by BSF personnel never to return, or they would be shot.

We must say that there is no basis in international law for such unilateral "push-ins." In fact, it is entirely contrary to accepted diplomatic norms. Why did India not consult the Bangladeshi government before deciding to send these people? This is a question Bangladesh must raise. At the same time, our border security forces must remain on high alert. After all, we still do not know the identities of the individuals who have been pushed in. Moreover, it remains unclear whether India intends to carry out further push-ins—including of Rohingyas from Myanmar—into Bangladesh in the future.

In their interactions with Indian officials, Bangladesh authorities must make it clear that any such action must involve consultation with the local authorities first. No unilateral decision that threatens our national security, sovereignty, or territorial integrity can be accepted.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh to urge India to stop border push-ins

At least 110 people were pushed in a single day through the Khagrachhari and Kurigram borders by India’s Border Security Force (BSF).

en.prothomalo.com

Bangladesh to urge India to stop border push-ins
Diplomatic Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 09 May 2025, 13: 12

File Photo

In the first week of May, at least 167 people, including Rohingya, were pushed into Bangladesh from India through various border points. Diplomatic sources say more than a hundred others may also be sent in the same way soon.

The government of Bangladesh is seriously concerned about these incidents, which go against the border management system agreed upon by both countries. A senior official told Prothom Alo on Thursday that a formal message will soon be sent to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, requesting urgent steps to stop these push-ins.

From 4 to 7 May, 167 people were pushed into Bangladesh through five districts—73 through Khagrachhari, 46 through Kurigram, 23 through Sylhet, 15 through Moulvibazar, and 10 through Chuadanga—according to diplomatic and law enforcement sources.

At least 110 people were pushed in a single day through the Khagrachhari and Kurigram borders by India’s Border Security Force (BSF). Only eight of them claimed to be Bangladeshi citizens. The rest said they were Rohingya or residents of Gujarat, India.

Sources also said around 200 people were flown from Gujarat to Tripura on a special, unscheduled flight operated by an Indian airline under BSF supervision. Some of them have already been sent into Bangladesh. Others are reportedly still in Agartala and may be sent in the coming days.

In response to the situation, Bangladesh has contacted Indian authorities. Some diplomatic sources said India has provided Dhaka with a list of people it claims crossed into India from Bangladesh in recent years.

A meeting was held at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday to review the issue. It was decided that if any of the pushed-in individuals are confirmed to be Bangladeshi citizens, they may be accepted. However, those whose citizenship cannot be verified will not be allowed to enter.

‘Push back’ not possible

Former officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi say there is no recent precedent for so many push-ins from India within such a short period. They also noted that, in the past, individuals pushed into Bangladesh were often immediately sent back. But this time, that process has not taken place.

According to sources in the local administration and law enforcement, 61 people were arrested last Wednesday by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for allegedly crossing into Bangladesh through the Doloi area of Kamalganj in Moulvibazar and the Roumari and Bhurungamari borders in Kurigram.

However, 73 people detained in Khagrachhari earlier on Wednesday have not yet been pushed back. Acting Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachhari, Nazmun Ara Sultana, told Prothom Alo that there has been no new incident of people being pushed into Bangladesh in that district.

In Moulvibazar, the BGB arrested 15 people, including women and children, from Kamalganj upazila for illegally crossing the border. Kamalganj UNO Makhon Chandra Sutradhar said the detainees—nine men, three women, and three children—are still being held at a BGB camp and will likely be handed over to the local police.

Diplomatic sources describe the recent push-ins as a serious concern for national security and public sentiment. They say such actions go against several bilateral agreements and understandings, including the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) of 2011, and decisions made during Director General-level talks between the BGB and BSF.

Officials with experience in diplomatic and border affairs recalled that earlier push-ins were usually followed by swift push-backs. In one notable case in January 2003, India attempted to push over 200 people into Bangladesh via the Lalmonirhat border.

Due to Bangladesh’s firm stance, those individuals were stuck at the zero line for nearly two months. The issue was later addressed in diplomatic talks between then Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan and his Indian counterpart Yashwant Sinha. Just before the talks, the group disappeared from the zero line.​

 

[Saif]

Blood on the border

ONE of the most tragic and unresolved human rights crises in South Asia is the deadly border killings by the Indian border forces. India’s Border Security Force kills Bangladeshi civilians despite the many bilateral agreements and repeated diplomatic assurances...

www.newagebd.net

Blood on the border
by Mohammad Asaduzzaman 11 May, 2025, 00:00

Felani Khatun hanging dead from the barbed-wire fence in the border. | Web

ONE of the most tragic and unresolved human rights crises in South Asia is the deadly border killings by the Indian border forces. India’s Border Security Force kills Bangladeshi civilians despite the many bilateral agreements and repeated diplomatic assurances, frequently under the guise of stopping smuggling or illegal crossings. Recent events in 2025 make it abundantly clear that the cycle of violence is far from over and that immediate action is required.

Grim statistical reality

IN THE first quarter of 2025 alone, at least 10 Bangladeshis were reportedly killed in the Bangladesh-India border, with multiple others injured or arrested in violent border clashes. One notable case occurred in early March in Panchagarh district, where Al Amin, a 38-year-old Bangladeshi, was shot dead approximately 150 metres from the border. According to Indian border force officials, the shooting happened during a confrontation with cattle smugglers, with the Indian guards claiming self-defence after one smuggler allegedly attacked an Indian border guard with a knife. However, the Border Guard Bangladesh strongly protested, condemning the killing as a violation of human rights and a breach of the bilateral consensus against the use of lethal weapons on the border. A formal protest was lodged, and the Bangladesh guards demanded justice and accountability.

Such incidents are not isolated. In 2024, 47 Bangladeshis were reportedly shot dead by the Indian guards, with 158 others arrested, according to the Human Rights Support Society. The persistence of these killings, despite diplomatic efforts, underscores the fragile and volatile nature of border security between the two countries.

The scale of the violence is staggering. Between 2000 and 2020, rights groups such as Odhikar and Ain O Salish Kendra documented at least 1,236 Bangladeshis killed and more than 1,145 injured in BSF shooting along the border. In the last decade alone, at least 305 Bangladeshis lost their lives and 282 sustained injuries, according to more recent data from 2015 to 2024.

These figures reveal a disturbing pattern of lethal force used disproportionately against civilians, many of whom are poor farmers or innocent bystanders. Despite India fencing over 3,200 kilometres of the border, the violence continues unabated, suggesting India’s ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy that disregards international norms on the use of force.

Diplomatic strains, failed assurances

THE border killing has for long been a sore point in Bangladesh-India relations. The killing of 15-year-old Felani Khatun in 2011 became a global symbol of the human cost of this conflict, yet the violence has persisted for over a decade. The recent change in Bangladesh’s government in August 2024, following a mass uprising, has further complicated diplomatic ties, with the new administration taking a firmer stance on sovereignty and border security.

Despite a high-level director general conference between the Bangladesh and the Indian border forces in February 2025, where both sides agreed to reduce border killings to zero and increase joint patrols, the killings have not ceased. The agreement also included commitments to exchange intelligence, conduct joint inspections near border constructions, and raise public awareness in border communities. However, these promises remain largely on paper, as evidenced by continued shootings and arrests.

Experts and human rights advocates criticise the Indian approach as excessively militarised and ‘trigger-happy’, calling for a shift from lethal force to lawful and proportionate responses. Dr Mizanur Rahman, a former chair of Bangladesh’s National Human Rights Commission, underscores that international law authorises the use of force on the basis of strict proportionality and self-defence standards, which are frequently disregarded by the Indian border guards.

Impact on Bangladeshis

THE human toll of these killings extends beyond the immediate loss of life. Border communities live in constant fear, their livelihoods disrupted by violence and harassment. Many victims are engaged in subsistence farming or cattle trading, activities that often require approaching the border. The trauma inflicted by losing family members, sometimes children like Felani or Swarna Das, deepens mistrust and resentment towards Indian authorities.

Anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh has been steadily intensifying, fuelled largely by the persistent killings of Bangladeshi civilians by the Indian Border Security Force along the border. These tragic incidents have sparked widespread outrage and resentment among the common people of Bangladesh, who see these acts as blatant violations of human rights and sovereignty. The repeated failure of Indian authorities to effectively curb the ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy and hold perpetrators accountable has deepened public frustration.

Protests and anti-India rhetoric have become more frequent, with many Bangladeshis perceiving India’s stance as indifferent or even hostile towards their lives and dignity. This growing agitation is not limited to political circles; it permeates everyday conversations and social media, where narratives of injustice and calls for justice resonate strongly, further straining the historically friendly ties between the two nations.

This escalating hostility has poisoned the centuries-old people-to-people contact. The old history of cultural interaction, shared celebrations, family ties, and economic reliance has turned to anxiety, mistrust, and loss. Living under the shadow of deadly force, the daily reality of border villages has frayed the social fabric linking the people on both sides. Along with undermining grassroots goodwill, this mistrust hinders diplomatic efforts since public animosity fosters nationalist and opposition narratives that present India as a controlling ‘big brother’ apathetic to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and human rights.

Way forward

THE question remains: when will the border killings end? The answer lies in political will and genuine commitment from both countries, especially India, to respect human rights and uphold bilateral agreements.

India must urgently revise its border management policies, replacing lethal force with non-lethal alternatives and ensuring accountability for violations. Bangladesh, for its part, should continue pressing for justice through diplomatic channels and international forums, if necessary.

Only through sustained dialogue, transparency, and respect for human dignity can the border be transformed from a zone of death into a space of peace and cooperation. Until then, the bloodshed will continue to stain the soil of two neighbouring nations that share not only a border but a common history and future. The persistence of these numbers despite repeated diplomatic dialogues highlights the urgent need for concrete action.

The ongoing border killings are not just statistics; they are human lives lost to a policy that prioritises force over justice. Ending this cycle is imperative — not only for the sake of bilateral relations but for the dignity and safety of the people living along this long and troubled border.

Dr Mohammad Asaduzzaman is a professor of linguistics in the University of Dhaka and director general of the International Mother Language Institute.​

 

[Bilal9]

undefined | The Financial Express

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BSF kills Bangladeshi youth in B’baria border
Published :
May 05, 2025 17:06
Updated :
May 05, 2025 17:06

View attachment 17088

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.

 

[Saif]

India’s push-in attempts go on Dhaka sends letter to Delhi

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

www.newagebd.net

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

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.​