Thirty hours after an attempted push‑in, ten people including women and children remain stranded on the zero line at the Barabari border in Panchagarh’s Sadar upazila.
Neither Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) nor India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has been able to reach a decision. Since 6am Friday to 12pm Saturday, the group has been sitting on the Indian side of the zero line.
The ten — five men, two women and three children — were seen waiting in the water on the isle of farmland. They were enduring day and night in difficult conditions, our local correspondent reports from the spot.
Earlier, BSF tried to push the group across the Barabari Pradhanpara border in Haribhasa union early Friday. After being barred from BGB and local residents, the ten were left stranded on the Indian zero line.
Two rounds of flag meetings between BGB and BSF took place on Friday, but no resolution was reached.
BGB officials said that since the group came from India and is positioned on the Indian zero line, they will not be allowed to enter Bangladesh. A commander‑level flag meeting was scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Expressing concern, Yusuf Ali of Barabari village said, “Right after the push‑in attempt, we stopped them. But what BSF did was wrong. The women, men and children are suffering greatly. We hope BSF will take them back.”
Another youth, Abu Sufian, said, “These ten people are living in misery. It has been almost two days, yet no solution. We, the locals, want this matter resolved quickly.”
Haribhasa Union Parishad Chairman Syed E‑Nure Alam described BSF’s action as inhumane. He said, “There are international laws and rules. BSF cannot push in the ten individuals like this. They have been suffering since Friday. We, along with locals, are active to prevent such push‑ins.”
Lt Col Md Sirajul Islam, commanding officer of BGB’s Nilphamari 56 battalion, confirmed the incident. He said, “We have intensified patrols along the border to prevent infiltration and push‑ins.”
