Bangladesh has formally lodged a diplomatic protest with India over recent incidents of "push-ins" along the border, demanding an immediate halt to such actions. According to diplomatic sources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a note verbale to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on May 9, expressing serious concern and calling for stronger border coordination.
The diplomatic move follows two major incidents on May 7 and 8, when the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly forced 202 people into Bangladeshi territory through unguarded border points. The situation escalated further on May 9, when 78 individuals were transported by the BSF via ship and left on Mandarbaria Char, a remote area in the Sundarbans. They were later rescued by the Bangladesh Coast Guard.
Currently, reports indicate that an additional 200 to 300 individuals remain gathered near the Khagrachhari border.
The matter was also tabled at a high-level meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Law and Order, chaired by Home Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, at the Secretariat on Monday. Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui was present and later briefed the media.
"These people were pushed in through unpopulated border areas where no patrol was present," said the BGB chief. “The BSF took advantage of such locations to carry out the push-ins.”
He confirmed that the BGB and other law enforcement agencies are currently verifying the identities of those forced across the border. Once confirmed as Bangladeshi citizens, they will be repatriated to their home districts through local administration.
According to the BGB, many of the individuals had lived in India for several years—some for over two decades—and held Indian Aadhaar and other identification documents, which were seized before they were pushed into Bangladesh. Among them are several children.
Notably, 39 Rohingyas were also among those pushed in. These individuals had previously registered as Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) in Bangladesh before escaping the refugee camps. They have now been returned to the camps with assistance from the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and UNHCR. Some others were identified as registered refugees in India.
Calling the incident a serious human rights violation, the BGB Director General said, “These individuals are registered with UNHCR in India and possess identity cards. Forcing them into Bangladesh is a clear breach of international refugee protocols.”
Displaying five such UNHCR cards marked "UNHCR IN" (India), he confirmed that Bangladesh has formally raised the issue with UNHCR and India's Ministry of External Affairs.
A flag meeting between border forces has already been held, and further communication with Indian authorities is underway. “If they are Bangladeshi nationals, we will accept them — but only through official channels, not under these covert and unlawful methods,” he stressed.
In the diplomatic letter sent to India, Bangladesh warned that such actions not only endanger bilateral trust but also violate several agreements, including the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, the 2011 Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), and commitments made during Director General-level talks between BGB and BSF.
The note emphasized that Rohingya refugees must be returned to Myanmar, not pushed into Bangladesh, and Indian citizens should never be forcibly relocated across the border.
Bangladesh urged India to immediately stop any further push-in activities and called for strengthened coordination between the border forces to prevent future incidents and maintain peace and stability along the shared frontier.
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