The Border Security Force of India is continuing attempts to push people into Bangladesh territory through different bordering areas amid heightened security measures.
A tense situation was prevailing in the bordering areas on Tuesday as several hundred people were waiting in the Indian side to enter Bangladesh in different areas, including the bordering areas of Khagrachari district, according to local people and Border Guard Bangladesh officials. 聽
About 300 people including Rohingyas and Indian nationals were pushed into Bangladesh between May 7 and May 11, the officials of the law enforcement agencies from bordering districts said.
Dhaka has, meanwhile, requested New Delhi to stop any such attempts to push people into Bangladesh territory through different bordering points.
The request was made in a diplomatic communication sent to New Delhi on May 9, a foreign ministry official in Dhaka confirmed.
While talking to reporters following the ninth meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Law and Order, held at the secretariat in Dhaka on Monday, BGB director general Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said that the BSF had been attempting to push 200-300 people from the Indian side, opposite to Khagrachari, into Bangladesh for the past two days.
鈥楤SF could not push them into Bangladesh as we increased our patrolling and vigilance,鈥� he said and added that India had chosen the remote areas to push people into Bangladesh.
It is not possible to tackle such incidents with physical presence there, he said.
The BGB chief said that the BSF pushed 202 individuals into Bangladesh on May 7 and eight through the unpopulated areas.
He said that among those pushed in were 39 Rohingyas who had previously gone to India from Bangladesh.
Five of the Rohingyas were found to possess identification cards issued by the UNHCR in聽India.
A flag meeting was convened regarding this matter and the BSF denied the issue as they did always and Bangladesh鈥檚 foreign ministry will formally inform India of the meeting, said the BGB chief.
The push-in began on May 7 when 123 people were forced to enter Bangladesh from the Indian side through different border points in Khagrachari and Kurigram districts amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Satkhira reported that the BSF and Indian Navy on May 9 allegedly pushed 78 people into Bangladesh through the Mandarbaria area under the Satkhira range of the Sunderbans West Forest Zone.
Addressing a press conference at the Shaymnagar police station premises on Tuesday, Bangladesh Coast Guard鈥檚 west zone operations officer Lieutenant Commander Abrar Hasan said that 75 of them were Bangladeshi citizens and three were Indian nationals.
He said that 75 Bangladeshis were handed over to their families on Tuesday and three Indians were sent to jail through a court in Satkhira on Monday after filing a case with Shyamnagar police station.
鈥楳ost of them had been living in India鈥檚 Gujrtat state for years,鈥� he added.
The BGB has tightened its patrolling along the borders in Rajshahi division following the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, 抖阴精品 Staff Correspondent in Rajshahi reported.
The force has also asked the farmers and fishermen not to take their cattle along the borders to feed and not to catch fish in the Padma River at night.
Rajshahi BGB sector commander colonel Md Imran Ibne A Rouf said that they had strengthened their patrolling along the bordering areas of Rajshahi division.
The BGB official said that they had also asked the farmers not to take their cattle along the borders as the cattle might enter Indian territory.
鈥榃e have also asked the fishermen not to catch fish at night as they may trespass into the Indian territory of the Padma River while fishing in the dark of night,鈥� he added.
