INDIA鈥橲 Border Security Force pushing individuals into Bangladesh has continued at regular intervals, reinforcing suspicion that this is not incidental but a deliberate policy. At least 46 individuals were pushed in through border points in Moulvibazar, Khagrachari, Meherpur and Feni on June 27 alone. This takes the number of people pushed into Bangladesh by India since May 7 to at least 1,681. Of them, 159 are Rohingyass, including 50 registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in India, and several Indians. In the June 27 incident, the Rohingyas and long-time Bangladeshi migrants living in Indian cities such as Mumbai were among those expelled, some of whom had been living there for decades. These individuals, many of whom had been living and working in Indian cities for years, are not just removed. They are expelled without due legal process, undermining their right to defence, residency status verification or repatriation protocols. The developments again reveal a clear pattern of violation by Indian authorities, who continue to circumvent the international law, bilateral agreements and agreed border management frameworks in place since the 1975 Joint Guidelines and the 2011 Coordinated Border Management Plan.
Despite repeated diplomatic protests and assurances from Dhaka that Bangladesh is willing to take back its undocumented citizens through legal and verified means, India continues to operate outside the bounds of lawful procedure. The Indian authorities persist with clandestine night-time push-in through remote and vulnerable border points. This unlawful conduct further exacerbates an already strained bilateral relationship, long troubled by recurring flashpoints, most notably the persistent killings of Bangladeshis along the border. Indian authorities may routinely affirm their commitment to international law and bilateral accords, including pledges to refrain from using lethal force. But in practice, the Indian guards have consistently breached the principles, opting instead for a shoot-to-kill approach. Consequently, the Bangladesh鈥揑ndia frontier has become one of the deadliest border zones in South Asia. Indian forces reportedly killed more than 1,300 Bangladeshis in 2000鈥�2023, as rights group Odhikar says. The move appears politically and communally motivated, with reports of Bangla-speaking Indian Muslims being misidentified as Bangladeshis and pushed in. This suggests that India鈥檚 actions are driven by more than border control concerns, targeting vulnerable groups like UNHCR-registered Rohingyas and long-term residents without due process, which constitutes a clear breach of rights based on identity.
Dhaka should now take up the issue with international and regional platforms, including the United Nations. It should call for an immediate end to such push-in and push for the establishment of accountability mechanism. The Indian civic society, political opposition and rights groups should equally question aggressive policy of India.
