Members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) pushed 18 Bangladeshi nationals—including women and children— in Bangladesh early Friday through the Dhamoirhat and Sapahar border points in Naogaon.
Lt Col Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, commanding officer of BGB Battalion-14 (Patnitala), said a patrol team from the 14 BGB’s Kalupara BOP, led by Havildar Rupom Chakma, detained the group in an orchard at Satnapara, approximately 50 yards inside Bangladesh territory, after noticing their suspicious movement.
Those detained in Dhamoirhat include Badsha Mia, 20; Imran Gazi, 34; and Nazmul Hasan, 24 from Maharajpur village, Koyra upazila, Khulna. Also among them were minors Moushumi Suma Molla, 4, and Raihan Molla, 4, from Madhabpur village, Digholia upazila, Khulna.
Other detainees from Kalia upazila, Narail include Mosammat Nupur Khanam, 22, and her daughter Ashika Khanam, 4; Mosammat Monira Khatun, 18; Mosammat Rabeya Sheikh, 28; Babu Shikdar, 17; Priya Shikdar, 26; minor Fatema Sheikh, 7; and Mosammat Bobita Shikdar, 35. Mosammat Duli Begum, 40, from Kotwali Thana in Jessore was also among those detained.
In Sapahar, detainees include Mosammat Hena Khatun, 38, wife of Imdadul from Uthli village, Kalia upazila, Narail; Rupali, 35, wife of Balam Shikdar from Chanpur village, same upazila; and their children Chandni, 8, and Ramzan, 2 years 6 months.
During primary questioning, four men had earlier entered Mumbai, India, illegally through the Satkhira and Benapole borders at different times to work as construction workers. Seven women had also entered illegally to work as domestic helpers.
These individuals were later detained by India’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Mumbai. Early Friday morning, BSF personnel from Balurghat camp forcibly pushed them back into Bangladesh through the Naogaon border points.
The group detained in Sapahar similarly confessed to having previously entered Mumbai illegally for domestic work. After being detained by Mumbai police, they were transferred to West Bengal’s Chhatraghat BSF camp under the "check-back" process before being pushed back into Bangladesh early Friday.
BGB then detained the Sapahar group near the Jame Mosque in Rasulpur village, about 800 yards inside Bangladesh territory from the main pillar 246/2-S.
Officer-in-Charge of Dhamoirhat police station, Md Imam Zafar, said BGB had not yet handed over the detainees to the police station. Further details will be available after the handover.
Sapahar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Abdul Aziz said legal procedures regarding the detainees were underway.