54 pushed in thru 4 border districts

At least 54 people were pushed into Bangladesh from India through different border points in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, and Moulvibazar yesterday.

In Panchagarh, 16 people were detained after they crossed into Bangladesh illegally in the early hours.

Members of Mistripara and Pediagach border outposts (BOPs) made the detention in separate phases between 12:30am and 6:00am.

Of the detainees, 12 have been identified as Bangladeshi citizens. The four others claimed to be Indian citizens.

They had earlier been detained in different parts of Mumbai before being handed over to the BSF, who then pushed them through border pillars 421, 430/2-S, and 432/1-S, said Lt Col Monirul Islam, commanding officer of BGB-18 Battalion, quoting returnees.

"We held a flag meeting with BSF and told them to verify the identities of the four detainees who claimed to be Indians."

In Thakurgaon, 23 individuals were detained at the Chapsar border in Haripur upazila at around 2:00am.

The BGB is currently working to confirm their identities.

They were detained near pillar no. 347/1-S after they had illegally crossed into Bangladesh, said Lt Col Abdullah Al Moin Hasan, commanding officer of BGB-42 Battalion.

"Earlier, Indian police detained them from different areas in Mumbai and its adjoining areas. Later, they were handed over to the BSF, who then pushed them into Bangladeshi territory," he told the newspaper, quoting returnees.

A company commander-level flag meeting between BGB and BSF was held at the zero line along the Chapsar border in the afternoon, where BGB officials protested the push-in incidents.

In Lalmonirhat, three people were detained near sub-pillar no. 1 of the 905 main border pillar in Gotamari union of Hatibandha upazila.

They were detained around 8:00am after they illegally crossed the border, said Nayek Subedar Jobayer Rahman, commander of the Sreerampur BOP under BGB-61 Battalion in Rangpur.

All three are Bangladeshi citizens and were handed over to local police, said Jobayer.

Mahmudun Nabi, officer-in-charge of Hatibandha Police Station, said they had illegally entered India eight years ago in search of work in Mumbai. "We'll now verify their identities."

Meanwhile, nine others remained stranded at the zero line till last night after BSF attempted to push them in through two border points in Patgram upazila, but BGB, with help from locals, foiled the attempts, said Jobayer.

In Moulvibazar, 12 people were detained near the Kumarsail border area in Barlekha upazila.

The individuals identified themselves as Rohingya and were being kept in a local school as their identities were being verified, said Lt Col Ariful Haque Chawdhury, commanding officer of BGB-52 Battalion in Beanibazar.

The returnees claimed they were pushed into Bangladesh by BSF.

[Our correspondents from Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat and Moulvibazar contributed to the report.]