Special Correspondent //

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday forcibly pushed 60 people into Bangladesh through the Moulvibazar and Sylhet borders. Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi was arrested from the Thakurgaon border.

44 people, including women and children, were pushed through the North Shahbazpur border in Barolekha upazila of Moulvibazar. The BSF pushed them in the early hours of Wednesday. At that time, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained them. The BGB confirmed that they were Bangladeshi citizens. Earlier, the BSF pushed more than a hundred people on May 6 and 7, but the BGB detained 59 people.

North Shahbazpur Union Parishad Chairman Rafiq Uddin Ahmed said that among those detained today, there are 13 men, 18 women and 13 children. The detainees said that they had gone to India illegally for work. Recently, the Indian police detained them. They said that the BSF has detained more people across the border. They are also in the process of sending them illegally.

BGB 52 commander Lieutenant Colonel Mehedi Hasan said that their identities have been confirmed. They are Bangladeshis. They will be handed over to the police station.

In addition, the BSF has pushed 16 people at the Atgram border in Kanaighat upazila of Sylhet. The BGB detained them this morning. The issue of citizenship is being verified. Initially, it is known that they are residents of Chuadanga and Nilphamari.

Among the detainees are eight men, six women and two children. They have not been handed over to the police station till this evening, said Kanaighat police station officer-in-charge (OC) Abdul Awal.

BGB 19 Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Md. Zubair Anwar said that they had been staying in India for 8-10 years. Border patrols have been strengthened to prevent Indian infiltration at the border.

On the other hand, the BGB BOP camp was inaugurated in Balujuri of Chauddagram upazila of Comilla on Wednesday morning to prevent infiltration and push-ins. At that time, Sector Commander Colonel Rezaul Kabir said that action is being taken if any information is received from there, whether there is no barbed wire fence or there is a bamboo fence.

Meanwhile, the BSF has arrested a Bangladeshi while cutting grass at the Ranishankail border in Thakurgaon. The incident took place this afternoon opposite the border pillar 373/1-S of the Dharmagarh BOP.

According to BGB sources, four Bangladeshis from Shahanabad village were cutting grass at the border. When the matter came to the attention of the patrol team of the 184 Ambari BSF camp in India, they tried to stop them. The three quickly fled. The BSF arrested one. The arrested Azizur Rahman is the son of Mortuza of Shahanabad village.

Lieutenant Colonel Tanzir Ahmed, Commander (CO) of Thakurgaon 50 BGB Battalion, said, “We are making every effort to bring our citizen back safely. We have contacted the BSF. We hope that a fair solution will be found through a flag meeting.”

(Report sent by the relevant district and upazila representatives)