BSF reportedly pushes 43 people more into Bangladesh
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly pushed 43 more people, including women and children, into Bangladesh through the borders of Dinajpur, Sylhet and Kurigram on Thursday (29 May).
In Dinajpur, the BSF pushed 11 women and two men into the district through Enayetpur border under Biral upazila around 3am.
Thandu Mia, commandant of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)-42 Battalion, said the patrolling frontier force detained them in the Enayetpur area with the help of locals.
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Later, they were handed over to the police station concerned to take legal action in this regard, he said.
In Sylhet, the Indian border force pushed 21 people into Bangladesh through Naowagram border under Beanibazar upazila in the early morning.
Of them, there are five men, eight women and eight children.
The BSF pushed 53 people into the country through Beanibazar border for the past three days.
Lt Col Mehedi Hasan, commandant of the BGB-52 Battalion, said they detained them and subsequently handed over to Beanibazar police station.
In Kurigram, the Indian frontier force pushed nine people through Dharmapur border under Phulbari upazila around 3am.
After detaining, the pushed-in people were handed over to the police station, said Lt Col Mehedi Imam, commandant of the BGB-15 Battalion.
On 23 May, India said it has asked Bangladeshi authorities to verify the nationality of more than 2,300 illegal migrants believed to be from the neighbouring country so that they can be deported.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing that the verification of the nationality of many of these people by Bangladesh has been pending for almost five years.
On 27 May, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury at an event in Rajshahi said India has been asked to send people through proper channels if they are Bangladeshis.
"We are prepared to return our citizens through the appropriate process, just as we send back citizens from various countries, including India, who are living illegally in our country. Discussions on this matter have taken place at various levels. Besides, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also in touch with them in this regard," he said.
