The Border Security Force of India pushed 18 more people, including 17 Rohingyas, into Bangladesh through a border point under Baralekha upazila in Moulvibazar Tuesday morning.
Border Guard Bangladesh鈥檚 52 Battalion commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ariful Haque Chowdhury said that BSF members pushed 17 Rohingyas, including four men, five women and eight children, and one Bangladeshi man, into Bangladesh through the Shahbajpur Tea Garden area under Baralekha upazila at about 7:30am on Tuesday.
The number of people, including Rohingyas and Indian nationals, pushed into Bangladesh by the BSF since May 7 has crossed 2,100.
The Indian border force has so far pushed around 200 Rohingyas, including 50 registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in India, into Bangladesh.
Lieutenant Colonel Ariful said that a BGB patrol team detained the 18 individuals from the tea garden immediately after they were pushed into Bangladesh.
Quoting the detainees, he said that they went to India illegally through different border points in search of jobs.
鈥楾he BSF personnel picked them up recently from different parts of India and pushed them into Bangladesh Tuesday morning,鈥� the BGB officer said as saying by the detainees.
He said that all 17 detained Rohingyas were forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Bangladesh.
He said that they, after confirming their identity, handed the detainees over to Baralekha police station Tuesday evening.
Barlekha police station officer-in-charge Sarker Abul Kashem said that they were taking steps to send the detained Rohingyas to Ukhia Rohingya Camp in Cox鈥檚 Bazar and the Bangladeshi man to his relatives.
