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Political leaders and security experts have expressed concerns over the current surge in incidents of people being pushed into Bangladesh territory by the Indian border force without following formal procedures.

They have strongly condemned theaction, calling it a violation of international norms and a threat to Bangladesh’s sovereignty.

To them, the push-ins are a pressure tactic by India amid the political transition in Bangladesh following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5, 2024.

Retired Major General ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, said that push-ins carried out without adhering to international and legal protocols were unacceptable.

‘India has been arbitrarily pushing people into Bangladesh without any bilateral agreement, and this cannot be tolerated,’ he told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Tuesday.

Since May 7, more than 800 individuals, including Indian nationals and Rohingyas, have reportedly been pushed into Bangladesh by the Border Security Force of India.

Home affairs adviser retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Tuesday in Rajshahi that the interim government had protested against these incidents of push-ins from the Indian side as they were not following the due process.

‘But those who are Bangladeshi are our own people. We have told India to send people through proper channels – just as we return foreigners according to legal procedures. But they are not doing that,’ he said while talking to journalists at the Rajshahi Prison Training Center,

Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said that push-ins needed to follow official procedures, yet India has been informally sending people across the border by force.

‘This kind of behaviour is inappropriate when dealing with a sovereign nation,’ he said, adding that individuals are being sent without confirming their citizenship.

‘It feels like a pressure tactic to me, like provoking a fight by stepping on someone’s foot. I suspect India is waiting for a retaliatory response from our border security forces,’ Gayeshwar added.

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince urged the interim government to intensify diplomatic dialogue with India to resolve the issue immediately.

‘If these [pushed-in] individuals are truly Bangladeshi citizens living illegally in India, there should be diplomatic discussions regarding their repatriation, in line with international guidelines. But if they are not illegal migrants and are being forcibly sent to Bangladesh, such actions are indeed problematic,’ Prince said.

Sarwar Tusher, joint convener of the National Citizen Party, said that the ouster of Sheikh Hasina government and the Awami League on August 5 also challenged India’s long-standing policy of treating Bangladesh as a de facto colony.

‘By pushing people into Bangladesh, India is creating a direct security threat. This is clearly a provocative act and a violation of international law,’ he said, demanding that India halt such activities and respect Bangladesh’s sovereignty.

Ashraf Ali Akon, presidium member of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh termed India an ‘unfriendly’ neighbour of Bangladesh. ‘The current push-ins are parts of a conspiracy against Bangladesh,’ he said.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal–JSD general secretary Shahid Uddin Mahmod Shapon said that India had taken a series of steps since August 5, which had strained its bilateral relationship with Bangladesh.

Citing that these actions are unfriendly and breaching diplomatic norms, he said, ‘Since August 5, Bangladesh has been trying to establish its sovereign authority while India appears to have perceived this as a challenge. But we believe our patriotic armed forces and citizens are capable of resisting India’s hostile actions.’

Touhidul Islam, an associate professor of peace and conflict studies at Dhaka University suggested that any issues involving bilateral relationships should be addressed pragmatically by neighbouring states, as they share borders.

‘Otherwise, such issues could lead to new security dynamics. I would suggest managing the push-in issue through diplomatic means,’ he said.

Security expert Muniruzzaman emphasised that if Indian authorities identified Bangladeshis staying illegally on their soil, they must verify their identities and formally notify Bangladesh. To him, only after completing proper legal procedures should repatriation occur. Otherwise, not.

‘What if some of those being pushed in pose threats to our national security and interests? We are seriously concerned about that,’ he warned.