Amid a series of allegations over the past month that Bangla-speaking people were being pushed into Bangladesh through multiple border points, a fresh incident has emerged at the Benapole border involving 10 individuals.
According to reports, an attempt was made late Sunday night to push 10 women, men and children into Bangladesh through a gate in a barbed-wire fence at the Benapole border area under Sharsha upazila in Jessore. However, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) intervened and foiled the attempt. The group is now stranded at the zero line, or no man’s land, near Bombetola in Sadipur village along the Benapole border.
Although BGB sent a letter seeking a resolution to the issue, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) had not responded as of Monday evening, June 1.
Allegations of Bengali-speaking individuals being pushed into Bangladesh without following recognized international border management procedures are not new. However, fresh allegations against India’s BSF over illegal push-in practices have resurfaced over the past month. BGB has said it will not accept anyone without proper verification and formal procedures through designated checkpoints. As a result, women, men and children have remained stranded at several border zero lines in recent incidents.
Lieutenant Colonel Golam Mohammad Saiful Alam Khan, commander of the Jessore 49 BGB Battalion, told Bangla Tribune that the 10 individuals brought to the border through BSF channels were still at the India-Bangladesh border zero line. He said a formal letter had been sent to the BSF to resolve the matter, but no response had been received from the Indian side as of Monday evening.
Multiple border incidents reported in May
Throughout May, allegations surfaced from several border areas over the pushing of Bangla-speaking people into Bangladesh after being labelled as “illegal immigrants” or “Bangladeshi infiltrators.” However, neither BGB nor any relevant government agency has provided consolidated data on how many people were allegedly pushed in or attempts were made to do so during the month.
Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, from May 24 onward, more than 100 women, men and children were allegedly pushed toward Bangladesh through various border points in Satkhira, according to local sources and BGB. However, those attempts were reportedly unsuccessful due to BGB’s strict stance.
Earlier, on May 27, 23 people were allegedly pushed in through the Kushkhali border in Satkhira. In the first week of May, an attempt was reportedly made to push 10 people into Bangladesh through the Murichhara border in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar. Around the same time, more than 50 people were detained in the Dhola border area and nearby locations on suspicion of attempted infiltration.
In late May, BGB detained 10 people during an alleged push-in attempt at the Darshana border in Chuadanga. Similar incidents were also reported in border areas of Meherpur, Jessore, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram.
Border surveillance strengthened
In response to growing allegations of push-ins, BGB has strengthened patrols and surveillance along border areas. Additional personnel have been deployed, intelligence activities intensified, and border communities engaged in monitoring efforts.
BGB headquarters Deputy Director General (DDG) and force spokesperson Colonel Abu Hasnat Mohammad Mahmud Azam told Bangla Tribune: “BGB will not accept anyone pushed into the country illegally through the border. If any individual claims Bangladeshi citizenship, necessary steps will be taken after identity verification through designated checkpoints in accordance with international rules and procedures.”
He added that the BGB was prepared to handle any situation along the border. Due to the rise in push-in incidents, leave for many personnel during the Eid period was also restricted.
Human rights and diplomatic concerns
The alleged practice of pushing Bangla-speaking individuals into Bangladesh from India after identifying them as “illegal immigrants” or “Bangladeshi infiltrators” is not new. However, the increasing frequency and geographic spread of such incidents have drawn renewed attention to the issue.
Human rights activists and border analysts say pushing individuals across borders without verifying citizenship contradicts international human rights principles and established repatriation procedures. They warn that such practices risk creating humanitarian pressure in border areas while also straining diplomatic relations between the two countries.
