46 pushed in thru Sylhet, Lalmonirhat borders

India's Border Security Force (BSF) pushed 39 Bangladeshi nationals back into the country through border areas in Sylhet's Jaintapur upazila and Sunamganj's Chhatak upazila early yesterday morning, according to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Lt Col Nazmul Haque, commanding officer of BGB 48 Battalion, said 19 individuals from three families, including six men, six women, and seven children, were pushed in through the Minatila border in Jaintapur.

Additionally, 20 more individuals from three other families, including six men, eight women, and six children, were pushed into Bangladeshi territory through the Noakot border in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj.

Of the 39 people, 38 are residents of Kurigram and one is from Pabna, said the BGB official.

BGB reported that these individuals are Bangladeshi nationals who had entered India illegally at different times in the past and had been residing in various parts of the country before being apprehended and pushed back by the Indian border force.

Lt Col Nazmul further said that the process of handing them over to the respective local police stations for necessary legal proceedings is currently underway.

In Lalmonirhat, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained seven individuals, including three children, from the Hosnabad border area in Patgram upazila early yesterday after India's Border Security Force (BSF) allegedly pushed them into Bangladeshi territory.

Without any prior coordination with Bangladeshi authorities, seven people from two families were pushed back by BSF personnel through sub-pillar no. 2 of main pillar no. 882 around 5:30am, according to BGB.

BGB personnel later detained them and handed them over to the Patgram Police Station for verification. Police identified the returnees as Bangladeshi nationals from Khalishpur in Khulna's Daulatpur upazila.

The returnees are Kawsar Ali, 70, and his brother Khurshid Alam, 50; Kawsar's wife, Munni Khatun, 59; Khurshid's wife, Tara Khatun, 45, and their three daughters, Rezia Akhter, 12, Saniya Khatun, 10, and Amena Khatun, 7.

Speaking to journalists, Khurshid Alam said, "We had been living and working as labourers in Delhi for nearly 20 years. All three of our daughters were born in India.

"Recently, Indian police detained us and handed us over to BSF, who later forcibly pushed us across the border early in the morning while it was raining."

Subedar Anwar Hossain, commander of Baura BOP under BGB 61 Battalion, said, "The BSF violated international border rules by forcibly pushing Bangladeshi citizens across the border without proper procedure. We have informed higher authorities."

Patgram Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman said, "We've verified the returnees as Bangladeshi citizens. They will soon be handed over to their family members following legal procedures."

[Our correspondents from Sylhet and Lalmonirhat contributed to this report.]