There are 110 Indian nationals and 64 Rohingyas among 1,638 individuals, who were illegally pushed into Bangladesh by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) since 7 May.
The push-ins come despite repeated requests from the Bangladesh government for India to cease the illegal action.
‘If you look around, you will be shot’
Minarul Sheikh, an Indian national, recounted his harrowing experience where BSF personnel threatened him with these words just before forcibly pushing him and others into Bangladesh.
Minarul, along with three other Indian citizens, was pushed into Bangladesh recently, though the BSF later took the four Indians back a day after the incident.
He shared his ordeal with Indian media in front of the office of the additional superintendent of police in Cooch Bihar, West Bengal.
Like the four, many Indian nationals and Myanmar’s Rohingyas were the victims of the illegal push-ins.
According to sources in a government institution, 1,560 people were pushed into Bangladesh from 7 May to 17 June.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) and Bangladesh Army detained them.
Of them, the BGB detained 1,475, while 78 were detained by the BCG and seven by the army, said the sources.
Of the total, 110 are Indian nationals and 64 are UN-listed Rohingyas residing in India.
Six of the Indian citizens were pushed in through Panchagarh and Thakurgaon on 14 June, 39 through Kurigram on 27 and 30 May, and 65 through Lalmonirhat on 28 and 30 May.
However, 106 of the Indian nationals were later pushed back.
Among listed Rohingyas, 37 were pushed in through Kurigram on 7 and 8 May and 27 through Moulvibazar on 8 May and 13 June. Of the Rohingyas, 15 were pushed back to India later.
In a blatant disregard for international laws and bilateral agreements, the BSF continues to push individuals into Bangladesh. In the latest incident, 48 people were illegally pushed into Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Of them, the BSF pushed in 20 through Chhatak in Sunamganj, 19 through Jaintiapur in Sylhet and seven through Patgram in Lalmonirhat.
Lieutenant Colonel Md Nazmul Haque, commander of the Sylhet 48 BGB battalion, told the Daily Sun that they detained 19 people and handed them over to the police stations concerned to verify their identities.
He said they enhanced patrol and intelligence surveillance along the border to resist the illegal push-ins, adding that they had asked the BSF not to push in several times through flag meetings.
Earlier on 19 June, 30 people were pushed in through Matiranga in Khagrachhari, Feni and Satkhira.
With this, at least 1,638 people were pushed in from 7 May to 24 June.
Director General (South Asia Wing) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ishrat Jahan could not be contacted for comment despite several phone calls and messages, while Director of the wing Md Manuar Mukarram declined to comment.
Source: Daily Sun
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
