Dhaka: Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, announced today that the Indian border force has pushed 202 individuals into Bangladesh this month.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Major General Siddiqui reported that these individuals were moved into Bangladesh through various isolated points during the nights of May 7 and 8. The statement was made following an advisory council meeting on law and order at the home ministry’s conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
The individuals, once identified as Bangladeshi nationals through police verification, were assisted back to their homes by the administration. Some of these individuals had been in India for two to three years, while others had been there for 15 to 20 years for work purposes.
Major General Siddiqui noted that some of these persons possessed Aadhaar cards, which are unique identity numbers for residents of India. However, these cards were confiscated by Indian authorities prior to their pushback into Bangladesh. The BGB chief emphasized that the Border Security Force (BSF) is denying these pushbacks but a complaint was lodged following a flag meeting on the issue.
Among those pushed back were 29 Rohingyas, five of whom were registered by the UNHCR in India. Major General Siddiqui condemned the act as a violation of human rights and confirmed that the BGB has registered a complaint with the BSF.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Bangladesh will engage with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to determine the next steps regarding this issue. Major General Siddiqui affirmed that Bangladesh is committed to accepting its nationals through due process.
He added that the BSF attempted to push an additional 200 to 300 individuals into Bangladesh through the Khagrachhari point over the past two days, but these efforts were thwarted by the BGB’s constant patrol and vigilance. Furthermore, 78 individuals were pushed through a remote char of the Sundarbans and subsequently rescued by the Bangladesh Coast Guard.
Major General Siddiqui assured that the BGB is maintaining a vigilant watch over the frontier to prevent further incidents.