India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has pushed in 17 Bangladeshi nationals, both men and women, through two separate border points in Panchagarh.
According to officials, on Thursday morning, members of the Panchagarh-18 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) battalion detained seven men from the Bhajanpur border area in Tetulia upazila. On the same morning, the Nilphamari-56 BGB battalion apprehended one man and nine women near the Ghagra border while patrolling the Panchagarh Sadar upazila.
BGB and police sources confirmed that all 17 individuals had been residing in India for an extended period. On Wednesday night, BSF reportedly pushed the seven men through the Sukani border outpost in Tetulia. They later took refuge in the Bhajanpur area, where locals helped BGB personnel apprehend them. Similarly, ten more individuals were pushed in through the Ghagra border in Haribhanga Union under Panchagarh Sadar upazila.
The detainees hail from various districts across Bangladesh, including Habiganj, Sylhet, Faridpur, Khagrachari, Gopalganj, Cox’s Bazar, Barishal, Jashore, Narsingdi, and Naogaon. Sources indicated that the individuals had previously been arrested by Indian police and were subsequently handed over to BSF, which then forced them across the border into Bangladesh.
Confirming the incident, Lieutenant Colonel Monirul Islam, commander of Panchagarh-18 BGB, and Major Kazi Asif Ahmed, deputy commander of Nilphamari-56 BGB, noted that the detainees have been handed over to local police stations. Authorities are currently working to verify their identities and establish contact with their families.