Another 22 pushed in by BSF

At least 22 people were pushed into Bangladesh allegedly by India's Border Security Force (BSF) through various border points in Kurigram and Dinajpur early yesterday.

Nine of them were identified as Bangladeshi nationals, said officials of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The identities of the remaining 13 could not be confirmed till the filing of this report around 9:00pm last night.

Lt Col Mehedi Imam, commanding officer of Kurigram's BGB-15 Battalion, said they detained the nine Bangladeshis shortly after they were pushed in by BSF through the Kashipur-Dharmapur border near International Main Pillar No-943 in Phulbari upazila around 3:30am.

"After verifying their identities, we handed them over to police. All of them are residents of Phulbari upazila. They had crossed the border into India in search of work and had been living there," he added.

Phulbari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Salam said a general diary was filed and the detainees were later handed over to their families following legal formalities.

Bahadur Islam, one of the returnees, told The Daily Star, "People from border areas often cross into India illegally due to a lack of local employment opportunities. I had been working at a brick kiln in Delhi for the past 15 years."

In Dinajpur, BGB detained 13 individuals -- 11 women and two men -- after they were pushed in through the Enayetpur border.

They were picked up from Karuliapara village, near the border, said Lt Col Abdullah Al Moin Hasan, commanding officer of BGB-42 Battalion of Dinajpur.

"Primary interrogation suggests they had been arrested by Indian police from different locations over the past month. We're verifying their identities, and necessary legal steps will follow," he told The Daily Star.

With this, at least 1,106 people have been pushed into Bangladesh from India through border points in 17 districts and the Sundarbans's Mandarbaria area since May 7, according to a statement from BGB headquarters.

(Our Correspondents from Lalmonirhat and Thakurgaon contributed to the report)