BSF did not give food, Bangladeshis extended their helping hand

The Indian Border Guard Force (BSF) has attempted to forcibly push (push) at least 33 people, including women and children, to Bangladesh through three separate border areas in three upazilas of Lalmonirhat. However, they could not enter the territory of Bangladesh due to severe obstacles from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and locals. Those people are spending extremely inhumane days under the open sky in the Indian part of Zero Point.

According to multiple sources on the border, no food or humanitarian assistance was provided by the BSF to these people stranded in Indian territory. The children who were with them fell sick due to not eating for a long time. In this situation, the Bangladeshis called the zero line and gave them emergency help with medicine from the other side of the barbed wire.

BGB and local residents said that the BSF tried to push 11 people, including eight women, at the Barakhata border of Hatibandha upazila and five men and five women through the Poishattibari border of Patgram upazila. At the same time, the presence of a group of 12 more people was seen at Durgapur border of Aditmari upazila under the jurisdiction of Lalmonirhat 15 BGB battalion.

On sensing the presence of suspects at the Durgapur border, the villagers were alerted by an announcement on the local mosque's microphone. Later BGB members and locals united and took a position on the border, but BSF's attempt to push failed.

According to Rangpur 61 BGB and Lalmonirhat 15 BGB battalion sources, these 33 women, men and children who were victims of pushin are currently staying in the no-man's land inside the Indian territory outside the barbed wire fence. Due to strict security of BGB they could not penetrate inside Bangladesh.

Rahman Mia (45), a resident of the border area, described the situation and said, “We were guarding the border since early night for fear of pushin. After morning, we saw women and children crying under the open sky at Zero Point on the other side of the barbed wire. The BSF did not let them go there, nor did they give them food. One child became very sick because of the heat. We couldn't bear to see her crying anymore. Later, some of us went to the other side of the barbed wire. I called them and gave them some essential medicines and biscuits-water.

In this regard, the BGB has informed that strict surveillance and patrolling have been strengthened at the border. Efforts are on to contact the BSF to ascertain the correct identity and nationality of the trapped persons. A quick resolution of this crisis has been urged through the flag meeting.