A Correspondent:
Satkhira: Home Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury yesterday affirmed that Indian nationals found staying illegally in Bangladesh will be repatriated through proper diplomatic channels, rather than being pushed back in the same manner they entered the country.
“Even if the individuals being pushed in by India are indeed Bangladeshi citizens, India does not have the legal right to forcefully return them in such a manner. Pushing people across the border without proper procedure is unlawful,” he said.
The Adviser said yesterday after inaugurating the third floating Border Outpost (BOP) at the confluence of the Roymongol River and Boyesing Canal in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira.
Addressing concerns about recent cross-border push-ins by India, the Home Adviser confirmed that dip-lomatic steps have already been taken.
“We have sent a letter seeking a diplomatic resolution to this issue. Discussions have also been held with the Bangladeshi Ambassador, Foreign Affairs Adviser and Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman,” he added.
Speaking at the same event, Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, highlighted areas most affected by push-ins.
“Indian authorities have been pushing people into several regions of Bangladesh, including Beanibazar, Sreemangal and Habiganj in Sylhet; riverine parts of Roumari in Kurigram; and remote areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” he stated.
Some push-ins even occurred this morning,” the BGB chief revealed, noting the difficulty in monitoring every point along the expansive border. “We are working to prevent these intrusions with support from local communities and the Ansar,” he said.
He also confirmed that the BGB regularly holds flag meetings with India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and continues to send protest letters in response to such incidents.
