BGB foils ‘push-in’ efforts by BSF in Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh, Naogaon

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Friday blocked the Indian Border Security Force’s (BSF) multiple “push-in” efforts to send around 60 individuals through Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari, Hatibandha and Patgram upazilas, Panchagarh Sadar’s Borobari-Prodhanpara, and Naogaon’s Sapahar.

The BGB has successfully repelled all such attempts, which took place from late Thursday night through the early hours of Friday, the BGB said in a statement.

It stated that the infiltration bids were foiled with the help of local residents as border patrols were intensified in the area.

The 33 people are currently inside Indian territory near the border.

The BGB said the BSF had tried to push 11 people into Bangladesh through the border area under the Barakhata BOP (border outpost) in Hatibandha upazila, 10 others through the Paishattibari BOP area in Patgram, and another 12 through the Durgapur-Dighaltari border area in Aditmari.

In Hatibandha, the BGB alleged that the BSF attempted to push 11 people, including women and children into Bangladesh through the Fakirpara union border.

A patrol team from the Teesta-61 BGB Battalion’s Barkhata Company, assisted by local residents, blocked the attempt early on Friday. As of the latest reports, those 11 individuals remain at the zero line.

Similarly, in Patgram, 10  more people were allegedly pushed toward Bangladesh through the Jhalangi (Pocket) border of Srirampur union.

A BGB patrol team and local residents intercepted them at dawn on Friday. Those individuals are also still positioned at the zero line.

According to a press release, BGB personnel detected the presence of 12 suspicious individuals near Main Pillar Nos. 925 and 927/7-S along the Dighalteri and Durgapur borders in Aditmari. After being warned through a handheld loudspeaker, they were seen retreating to the Indian side.

The BGB has called for a flag meeting with India’s Raninagar-3 BSF Battalion to identify the individuals, though no response has been received from the BSF so far.

Major Tanvir Ahmed, acting commanding officer of the Teesta-61 BGB Battalion, confirmed that infiltration attempts had been repelled at the Hatibandha and Patgram borders and that his team is working on the matter; further details would be provided later.

However, due to strict surveillance, they were unable to enter.

From early Friday until around 12:30pm, the 10 individuals affected by the attempted push-in remained under the open sky at the zero line of the border. According to BGB sources, the group includes five men, two women, and three children.

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Around 12:15 pm, Lt Col Sirajul Islam, commander of the Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion, said a flag meeting had been held at the company commander level. 

However, they were unable to enter the country. The incident took place around 8am on Friday.

According to sources from the Naogaon Battalion (16 BGB), members of India’s 88 BSF Pannachhara camp tried to push the individuals into Bangladesh through border pillar 238/MP in the Hapania border area. 

The 17 individuals are currently staying at the zero line between the two countries. Additional BGB personnel have been deployed in the area.

The BGB, on Thursday, said that it restricted 28 individuals from entering Bangladesh through the Chapainawabganj's Gomastapur border.

In a press release issued on Friday, Coast Guard Media Officer Lt Commander Sabbir Alam Suzan said that the force has strengthened round-the-clock monitoring and patrol activities in areas under its jurisdiction along the Bangladesh-India border.

He said that no incidents of push-ins have so far been detected in the border areas monitored by the Coast Guard.

Responding to questions during the weekly media briefing, Jaiswal projected a “firm stance” regarding the broader issue of illegal migration. Addressing the situation, he reiterated that India has established “bilateral mechanisms for the repatriation of foreign nationals.”