Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) foiled two separate attempts to push 10 people into Bangladesh through the Kushtia and Meherpur borders by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday.
In Meherpur, a BGB patrol team, assisted by local residents, foiled an attempt to push six people, including four women and two men, into Bangladesh through the Rangmahal border in Gangni upazila in the early hours of Sunday.
The incident took place near border pillar 137 at around 6:00am on October 11, according to a press release issued by the commander of Kushtia Battalion (47 BGB).
BSF personnel, led by Himmat Singh, commander of the Dighalkandi BSF camp, allegedly attempted to push the six individuals into Bangladesh.
On detecting the attempt, a patrol team from the Rangmahal BGB camp, with assistance from local residents, moved to prevent the group from being brought across the border.
The BSF personnel eventually withdrew in the face of resistance from BGB members and local residents. At around 8:00am, they took the six individuals back into Indian territory.
Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Kamal Roni, commander of Kushtia Battalion (47 BGB), said the force maintained a firm stance along the border and would not accept push-ins. He also urged residents of border areas to remain vigilant.
It was the second reported push-in attempt in Gangni upazila within two days. Two days earlier, the BSF had reportedly attempted to push four people, including two men, a woman and a child, into Bangladesh through the Sheoratala border.
In a separate incident in Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila, BGB foiled an attempt to push four Indian nationals into Bangladesh through the border on Sunday morning.
According to another press release issued by Kushtia Battalion (47 BGB), the incident occurred at around 7:45am near border pillar 153/9-S, approximately 50 yards inside Indian territory, within the area of responsibility of the Thotapara Border Outpost (BOP).
The four individuals, comprising two men and two women, were reportedly being pushed into Bangladesh by members of the Uday Kishan Camp of BSF’s 146 Battalion. Their identities were not immediately known.
BGB personnel foiled the attempt through heightened vigilance and immediate preventive action, the release said. The four individuals returned to Indian territory at around 8:00am in the face of BGB’s firm response.
The two incidents underscore renewed concerns over alleged push-in attempts along the Kushtia and Meherpur border areas.