Atrocities of BSF/How BGB responds

[Saif]

BGB, locals foil BSF bid to push 750 people into Bangladesh along B'baria

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and locals have reportedly resisted an attempt by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to push 750 people into Bangladesh through the border in Brahmanbaria district early Friday. A tense situation prevailed along the borders between the frontier guards overnigh

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BGB, locals foil BSF bid to push 750 people into Bangladesh along B'baria

Published :
May 16, 2025 14:52
Updated :
May 16, 2025 14:52

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and locals have reportedly resisted an attempt by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to push 750 people into Bangladesh through the border in Brahmanbaria district early Friday.

A tense situation prevailed along the borders between the frontier guards overnight, said locals.

Sources said that Indian law enforcers have recently detained over 600 people in the state of Tripura and 148 in Rajasthan during a countrywide crackdown, with New Delhi claiming that most of them are Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, according to a UNB report.

The BSF reportedly took the detainees to a bordering area to push them into Bangladesh through the Singarbil border of Bijoynagar upazila of the district around 2:00 am.

Being informed, the BGB took position while locals also gathered along the border to resist the push-in.

Local union parishad member Mamun Chowdhury said the BSF was forced to go back when the BGB and locals took position along the border.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sadhana Tripura said, “The situation is now normal along the border. The push-in attempt by the BSF has been resisted by the BGB and locals. All remain on alert.”

Lt Col Jabbar Ahammed, commandant of the BGB-25 Battalion, said they took a cautious position after being informed about the possible push-in, and curious locals also gathered at the border.​

 

[Saif]

Home advisor downplays India's border ‘push-ins’

Amid rising instances of people being driven into Bangladesh across various borders from India, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said these “push-ins” do not necessarily exhibit provocative intentions by India as such incidents were common during his tenure as chief of the count

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Home advisor downplays India's border ‘push-ins’
bdnews24.com
Published :
May 17, 2025 16:42
Updated :
May 17, 2025 16:42

Amid rising instances of people being driven into Bangladesh across various borders from India, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said these “push-ins” do not necessarily exhibit provocative intentions by India as such incidents were common during his tenure as chief of the country's border security force.

Jahangir made the remarks in response to questions from reporters after inaugurating the third floating border outpost (BOP) at the confluence of Roymongol River and Boyesing Canal under Shyamnagar Upazila in Satkhira on Saturday.

On Sunday, India's Border Security Force (BSF) pushed a group of 78 “Bengali-speaking” across the border into Bangladesh and left them on Mandarbaria shoal in Satkhira before they were rescued by the Forest Department and later handed over to the local police station by the Coast Guard.

The newly set up BOP was located near the Indian border, about 20km from the Mandarbaria shoal.

“It [push-in] does not seem provocative. Since they have done this before, long ago, when I was DG [director general] BDR [now BGB]."

Jahangir was the chief of the now defunct BDR from January 2003 to February 2006.

Outlining steps he took when similar incidents had taken place while he was in charge of the paramilitary force, he said: “We have told them that if any Bangladeshis are in India, send them back through proper channels. There’s always a proper channel. I’ve also sent Indians who were in Bangladesh back through proper channels.

“But we do not push anyone in.”

Jahangir said a letter will be written to India to seek a diplomatic solution to put a stop to these incidents. He also said that he had spoken to Khalilur Rahman, the chief advisor’s top aide who is also the foreign affairs and national security advisor, about the matter.

On why these incidents are taking place, he said: “A few days ago, you heard that there was a colony in Gujarat, like a Bengali colony, a Bengali slum. They [Indian authorities] tore it down. What’s happening now began after that.”

Since then, the BGB has reported at least 370 people being pushed across various points of the border into Bangladesh by the BSF.

Jahangir also said a “protest letter” has been sent regarding the "push-in" of UNHCR cardholders across the border. “Some Rohingya people are also coming in. They were in our country and had left. [India] is also sending over Rohingya refugees. So we have sent a protest letter.”

On whether any action will be taken against illegal Indian nationals in Bangladesh, he said: “I will not say that there are no illegal Indians in Bangladesh either, but I request you to let us know if there are any, so that we can send them back through proper channels."

Jahangir firmly maintained that no citizens of Bangladesh would be “pushed back”.

“We have no right to push back [Bangladeshi citizens]. And about the illegal Indians, we will not push them back. We will send them through the proper channels.”

EFFORTS TO PREVENT “PUSH-INS”

Also present at the inauguration ceremony was BGB Director General (DG) Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui.

He said, "The areas where push-ins are mainly occurring are Beanibazar, Srimangal, Habiganj in Sylhet. Meanwhile, it is mainly happening in the shoal areas and remote places of Rowmari in Kurigram district, and to some extent in the uninhabited areas of the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

"We are trying to prevent this. To be honest, there were some push-ins this morning too. Since our border is so expansive, it is not possible to guard every spot. That is why we have sought the help of the people and we are also taking the help of the Ansar."

The foreign ministry announced an “all-out effort” by the BGB at the border, he said, adding that flag meetings, protest letters and other actions are in progress as well.

Turning to the issue of involving the public in these measures, he said: "If the locals also keep watch on those near their border and inform our patrols about any potential push-ins, they can quickly respond."

He also said that their patrols and manpower have been boosted and sought “information support” from the public.

On whether militants or criminals could possibly enter the country during these incidents, Ashrafuzzaman said: "Nothing can be ruled out. Everything is possible from all sides. However, we are trying to ensure strong security so that no harm comes to our country."​

 

[Saif]

India’s push-in strategy

DESPITE deep ties between Bangladesh and India in the geopolitical landscape of South Asia, India’s approach to border management has often been aggressive, escalating tensions with its neighbours. Recently, a complex diplomatic conflict has emerged over ‘push-in’ incidents along the...

www.newagebd.net

India’s push-in strategy
Mohammad Asaduzzaman 21 May, 2025, 00:00

The Department of Forest hands over a group of people to Bangladesh Coast Guard, allegedly pushed into the country by the Indian Border Security Force on May 10-11 through bordering Mandarbaria in Satkhira. | Focus Bangla photo

DESPITE deep ties between Bangladesh and India in the geopolitical landscape of South Asia, India’s approach to border management has often been aggressive, escalating tensions with its neighbours. Recently, a complex diplomatic conflict has emerged over ‘push-in’ incidents along the India-Bangladesh border, where Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) have been forcing people into Bangladeshi territory. This practice of pushing so-called undocumented Bangladeshis — and even Rohingyas and Indian nationals labelled as Bangladeshis — across the border reflects an aggressive aspect of India’s hegemonic stance. Is this merely a border security issue, or has it become a strategic political tool? The political motives behind India’s ‘push-in’ strategy, along with its diplomatic and humanitarian implications and the resulting challenges for Bangladesh, deserve scrutiny.

What is push-in and why is it concerning?

‘PUSH-IN’ refers to the forced repatriation of individuals into a country without following any legal or judicial process. What India perceives as a pushback is, from Bangladesh’s perspective, a push-in. According to international human rights and migration laws, this practice is controversial and considered unlawful. In the first half of May 2025 alone, around 300 individuals were reportedly pushed into Bangladesh by India — many of whom had been residing in Indian states like Gujarat and Rajasthan for years. Among them were Rohingyas and even Indian nationals. On the early morning of May 9, Indian authorities allegedly pushed 75 Bangladeshi Muslims and 3 Indian Muslims into Mandarbaria Char in the Sundarbans. This occurred amid heightened tensions following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, suggesting a deliberate act. India has employed this strategy previously along the borders of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura. Recently, Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), stated that the BSF is systematically pushing Rohingya refugees and some Bangladeshi citizens into Bangladesh. Though India denies these allegations, the incidents are becoming increasingly alarming.

India’s strategic intent

INDIA’S push-in operations appear to be a calculated political and strategic pressure tactic. In the context of implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the issue of ‘illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’ continues to be politically weaponised. The CAA of 2019 offers citizenship to persecuted minorities from three Muslim-majority countries — Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan — who entered India before December 31, 2014. This law carries an implicit assumption that minorities in these countries are systematically oppressed, which undermines India’s secular character. The BJP government uses such tools to stoke nationalist sentiments. Through this push-in strategy, India may be subtly pressuring Bangladesh to ‘take back’ alleged undocumented Bangladeshis. However, under international law, no state can be forced to accept individuals against its will. Yet India continues to exert such pressure through indirect means.

BJP’s nationalist narrative and Bangladesh’s position

THE BJP and its Hindutva-aligned groups frequently raise the alarm over alleged illegal Muslim infiltration from Bangladesh, using it as a political device. The term ‘Bangladeshi infiltrator’ is portrayed as a serious social and cultural threat. Through this narrative, the government presents itself as taking a strong stance, where ‘patriotism’ is equated with strict border control and zero tolerance for infiltration. Consequently, the push-in policy becomes a tool for shaping public opinion. So far, Bangladesh has maintained a cautious and restrained stance. Each time such incidents occur, formal protests are lodged through the BGB and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, India typically denies any direct involvement and attempts to deflect blame. For Bangladesh, this is not just a humanitarian concern — it is also a diplomatic and national security challenge. Bangladesh is already burdened by international pressure and financial costs due to the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis. India’s push-in strategy only adds to the strain, triggering security threats in border areas and growing resentment among local communities.

Violation of international law

ACCORDING to the UN Refugee Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international migration policies, it is illegal to return refugees or asylum seekers without proper legal process forcibly. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol prohibit such actions under the principle of non-refoulement. Push-backs typically deny individuals the opportunity to apply for asylum, violating their right to due process as guaranteed under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Article 14 of the UDHR specifically states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum in another country. Moreover, under the Convention Against Torture, no individual may be returned to a country where they risk torture. The forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh further undermines India’s human rights record in the eyes of the international community. Rohingyas who fled Myanmar are not Bangladeshi citizens; if India wishes to return them, it should do so to Myanmar, not impose the burden on Bangladesh.

Consequences and possible solutions

IF THIS situation continues, it could seriously damage Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations. Prolonged tensions may escalate border conflicts and undermine regional cooperation on migration management, weakening South Asia’s image in global forums. What should be done? Both countries must pursue resolution through bilateral dialogue. Establishing a joint forum on migration and refugee issues could lead to a shared framework. Bangladesh could also raise the matter at the United Nations, especially regarding the forced relocation of Rohingya refugees. Domestically, Bangladesh must ensure strong border surveillance and accurate verification of identities through agencies like the BGB and the national ID/passport authority. Moreover, India should be held accountable to uphold international standards. A bilateral agreement is needed that focuses on shared humanitarian values and the rights of border communities, treating migration not as a political weapon but as a human issue.

Finally, India’s push-in operations are not merely border control measures; they represent a strategic manoeuvre in South Asia’s evolving geopolitical game. These actions serve as tools for nationalist politics on one hand, while simultaneously violating human rights and diplomatic norms on the other. This not only affects the physical border but also erodes the foundation of trust between the two countries. For Bangladesh, this is a strategic challenge requiring visionary foreign policy, internal cohesion, and global support. A shared approach rooted in humanity, not political expediency, must guide future border policies between the two nations.

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

 

[Saif]

Indian citizens must be taken back: Touhid Hossain

Foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain said that it is not clear yet on whether the people who have recently been 'pushed in' (forcibly sent) from India to Bangladesh will be “pushed back” (forcibly returned). However, those who are proven to be Indian citizens must be taken back, he added.

en.prothomalo.com

Indian citizens must be taken back: Touhid Hossain
Diplomatic Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 21 May 2025, 22: 06

Foreign affairs adviser Md. Touhid Hossain Prothom Alo file photo

Foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain said that it is not clear yet on whether the people who have recently been 'pushed in' (forcibly sent) from India to Bangladesh will be “pushed back” (forcibly returned).

However, those who are proven to be Indian citizens must be taken back, he added.

The foreign adviser made these remarks in response to journalists' questions at the foreign ministry on Wednesday afternoon.

When asked whether the Indian citizens or Rohingyas pushed into Bangladesh would be pushed back, the adviser said, “So far, I have no clear decision on this matter. We generally do not carry out pushbacks. However, those who are proven to be Indian citizens must be taken back.”

Asked whether Bangladesh communicated with India to stop the push-ins, he said, “We are maintaining communication with Delhi and trying to ensure that nothing happens outside the rules.”

When asked how India responded, Touhid Hossain said, “We do not expect a response within a day. They have stated their position to some extent. We have explained our position to them—we are making it clear that such push-ins are not acceptable. We have told them that we have a standard operating procedure which we’ll follow. They have given us a list, and we are verifying those lists through the home ministry.”

Asked about reviewing the agreements signed with India, the adviser said, “Several minor agreements and memoranda of understanding have been signed over time and those were shared with you as they happened. According to those agreements, they must be cancelled with mutual consent, or there may be provisions allowing cancellation if one party objects. We haven’t canceled any of them. We actually want everything to move forward according to the rules.”

The adviser mentioned that they are trying to identify Bangladesh's stance on the agreements with India and pinpoint where the problems lie. He stated that these issues would be discussed with India at the appropriate time.

When asked whether India is violating the rules, adviser Touhid Hossain responded, “Rules can be interpreted in many ways—sometimes positively, sometimes negatively. Altogether, we are trying to move forward accordingly. No one admits that they are violating the rules.”

In response to a question about whether there has been any communication with India regarding the halt in ready-made garment exports through Indian land ports, the adviser said that a letter is being sent about the matter, and the commerce adviser is handling it.​

 

[Bilal9]

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.

Instead of whining about it - Bangladesh should increase tariffs on import of all Indian goods gradually, as these push ins increase, and at the same time identify and fire all Indian nationals illegally working in Bangladesh and promptly kick them out.

Tit-for-tat is the only language these people will understand.

 

[Saif]

India’s ‘push-in’ policy: What is the message for Bangladesh?

These push-in operations are political signals—of frustration and control.

www.thedailystar.net

India’s ‘push-in’ policy: What is the message for Bangladesh?

VISUAL: BIPLOB CHAKROBORTY

In a region already riddled with border disputes, demographic anxieties, and geopolitical tensions, India has added a controversial new chapter to its neighbourhood diplomacy. Over the past few weeks, New Delhi has unleashed a wave of "push-in" operations, forcibly expelling alleged illegal migrants—mostly Bangla-speaking Muslims—into Bangladesh, without due process, verification or diplomatic coordination. These actions are not just inhumane or unlawful; they are a clear violation of international norms, aimed at pressuring Dhaka and reasserting regional dominance at a time when Delhi's Kashmir calculus lies in tatters. How else would you describe the situation when poor, vulnerable people were flown across states and dropped at the border of a sovereign nation? In any other global context, this would have made headlines: mass deportations without trial, detentions without court appearances, and midnight border dumps of children, women, and even Rohingya refugees protected under UNHCR mandates.

But when it comes to India, global outrage has a strange habit of taking a sabbatical.

Let us connect the dots. Despite its muscular rhetoric, Delhi's realpolitik ambitions are facing diminishing returns. Having failed to assert itself against Pakistan, and amid increasing tensions with China, it seems India now sees Bangladesh as the safer punching bag—the soft target next door.

Push-in operations are not just about a few hundred unfortunates being kicked across the barbed wires. They are political signals—of frustration and control. It is a continuation of a pattern, an imperial hangover dressed as a "regional security policy."

The absurdity of India's push-in narrative lies in its shifting justifications. According to Indian sources, the "illegal migrants" being expelled are Bangladeshis. Yet, several media reports suggest that among those detained in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tripura are Indian Bangla-speaking Muslims—some allegedly with valid Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and decades-long residence records. In many cases, entire families were picked up in random raids, herded into detention centres, and dispatched to border areas, as though they were disposable items in a political experiment.

Consider the grotesque irony: India, a country that has hosted Tibetan refugees, Sri Lankan Tamils, and Afghans, is now unable—or perhaps unwilling—to distinguish between its own marginalised citizens and foreign nationals. Bangla-speaking Muslims from West Bengal and Assam have been allegedly rounded up alongside suspected Bangladeshis. This is not immigration enforcement; it is demographic profiling, cloaked in the BJP's nationalist jargon.

Intelligence reports warn that India's push-in game bears eerie similarities to Myanmar's infamous ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas. Like the generals in Naypyidaw, Delhi seems to believe that forcibly transferring "unwanted" populations into a neighbouring country will help clean up its demographic and security problems. In fact, at least five Rohingya refugees with verified UNHCR cards from India were among those recently pushed into Bangladesh. Some were blindfolded, airlifted from Gujarat, and dumped near border char lands in Shyamnagar, ill and injured.

One such detainee, Obaidul Khandaker from Cooch Behar, testified to the BBC that he showed his Indian identity documents, only to be told they needed "verification." After 10 days in detention—with barely any food, no legal hearing, and no information to his family—he returned home to find his house looted and his power line cut. He says he will never again work in India's western states. So we ask: is this the "vishwaguru" that India claims itself to be?

Intelligence reports warn that India's push-in game bears eerie similarities to Myanmar's infamous ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas. Like the generals in Naypyidaw, Delhi seems to believe that forcibly transferring "unwanted" populations into a neighbouring country will help clean up its demographic and security problems. In fact, at least five Rohingya refugees with verified UNHCR cards from India were among those recently pushed into Bangladesh. Some were blindfolded, airlifted from Gujarat, and dumped near border char lands in Shyamnagar, ill and injured.

It also speaks volumes about India's evolving security doctrine, which no longer sees soft power and cooperation as tools of influence in South Asia. Today it's push-in, forcibly into its neighbour. Tomorrow it may be "push-out" of bilateral trade deals, water treaties, and transit arrangements.

The 4,096-km Bangladesh-India border is already among the most militarised in the world, with more than 3,200 km fenced. One would assume such a landscape was meant to prevent illegal crossings. Instead, it's now a human conveyor belt where the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) plays the role of a forceful usher, marching off detainees and dumping them unannounced on Bangladeshi soil.

Between May 4 and May 15 alone, 370 people were pushed into Bangladesh, including minors, pregnant women, and elderly individuals. Some were tortured, according to a report by The Daily Star. Others arrived barefoot, starved, and terrified. These actions are in clear violation of international conventions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—both of which India is a signatory to.

More importantly, India's actions shred the very spirit of neighbourly cooperation. India did not consult Dhaka. It did not provide proper documentation. And when approached through diplomatic channels, its Ministry of External Affairs replied with radial silence. India has not even confirmed whether those expelled are verified Bangladeshis. India's Ministry of Home Affairs, under whose directive the detentions have intensified post-Pahalgam attack, has yet to clarify why Bangalee Muslims from West Bengal and Assam were caught in this dragnet. Instead, Rajasthan Law Minister Jogaram Patel publicly bragged about flying "Bangladeshis" to Kolkata.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has a history of making inflammatory anti-Muslim statements, has endorsed a "pushback mechanism" to "check infiltration."

Dhaka must not remain silent. The Bangladesh foreign ministry's timid letter to New Delhi, regarding India's attempt to push in people into Bangladesh, is hardly adequate. What we need is vocal, strategic, and multilateral diplomacy. We must raise this issue at the UN, UNHCR, and other international human rights forums. Bangladesh must also demand clarity on these operations from India. The government should document and archive each push-in case, and explore legal avenues to hold India accountable.

Additionally, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) must enhance surveillance and refuse entry to any individual not processed through bilateral mechanisms. Bangladesh should not be made the dumping ground for India's communal anxieties. Let it be said clearly: if India wants to be the regional leader it claims to be, it must first stop such disruptive actions. Friendship cannot be built on fear, nor can neighbourhood policy be guided by electoral calculations or RSS paranoia.

H.M. Nazmul Alam is an academic, journalist, and political analyst.​

 

[Saif]

Tit-for-tat is the only language these people will understand.

Our foreign ministry is coward hence unable to respond to Indian push-ins befittingly.

 

[Mainerik]

Instead of whining about it - Bangladesh should increase tariffs on import of all Indian goods gradually, as these push ins increase, and at the same time identify and fire all Indian nationals illegally working in Bangladesh and promptly kick them out.

Tit-for-tat is the only language these people will understand.

@Krishna with Flute