Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has foiled separate attempts by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) to push 17 people, including women and children, into the country through border areas in Panchagarh and Dinajpur.
The incidents took place early Saturday, with BGB personnel preventing the groups from entering Bangladesh and forcing the BSF to take them back to the Indian side.
BGB said the situation along the borders remained normal and that surveillance had been strengthened.
In Panchagarh, BSF personnel from the Nayabari camp allegedly attempted to push in 13 people, including women and children, through the Majhipara border area under Tetulia upazila around 7am.
The incident occurred near Sub-Pillar No 5 of Main Pillar No 434 under the jurisdiction of Majhipara Border Outpost of BGB’s Panchagarh-18 Battalion.
According to BGB and local sources, a patrol team reached the spot after detecting the movement and prevented the group from entering Bangladesh. Following BGB’s resistance, BSF personnel took the 13 people back to India.
Panchagarh-18 BGB Battalion Commander Lt Col Abdullah Mohammad Kayes confirmed the incident, saying the people involved in the attempted push-in were inside Indian territory and could not cross into Bangladesh due to BGB’s presence.
“Currently, there is no one at the zero line and no movement has been reported there. The situation is normal, and BGB surveillance has been increased across the area,” he said.
Meanwhile, another push-in attempt was prevented at the Dainur border in Dinajpur Sadar upazila, where BGB stopped four people, including a woman, from entering Bangladesh.
The group was intercepted around 5:30am near Main Pillar No 315 in the Akirapara area under Kamalpur Union. BGB personnel spotted them while they were allegedly being pushed into Bangladesh and stopped them before they crossed the border.
The four individuals – a woman and three men – were kept at the zero line near Dainur Border Outpost. One of the men was reportedly physically disabled.
BGB identified them as Bangladeshi citizens- Babul Molla, 50, son of Masud Molla of Daulatpur Karikarpur area in Khulna; his wife Sukhi Molla, 35; their son Mohammad Jihad Molla, 15; and Gani Molla, 35, son of late Torab Molla of Panchakamne village in Narail’s Kalia upazila.
A BGB source said the four had travelled to India around two years ago in search of work.
Three of them belonged to the same family, while the fourth was from another family.
They were later arrested by Indian police while returning to Bangladesh and spent two months in custody.
Lt Col Mohammad Arif-uz-Zaman, commander of BGB’s Phulbari-29 Battalion, confirmed the incident and said the force had sent a letter to BSF seeking a flag meeting.
