BGB, people jointly foil BSF’s latest push-in attempt

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) members tried in the small hours on Friday to push-in a number of people into Bangladesh through Bijoynagar upazila border in Brahmanbaria, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said.

The BSF attempt, however, failed as the BGB-25 battalion (Sarail) members and local Bangladeshis were vigilant along the Bangladesh-India border in Nolgaria and Noabadi areas, the border guard added.

The BGB battalion commander Lt. Col. Jabbar Ahmed confirmed this to Prothom Alo.

Since tension prevails in the bordering area, the BGB boosted its patrolling there.

India’s BSF reportedly pushed in a total of 318 people through five bordering districts between 4 and 15 May. Of them, 10 were pushed in through Meherpur on 4 May, 66 and 78 people through Khagrachhari and Satkhira borders respectively on 7 May, 148 through Moulvibazar border on 7, 8, 14 and 15 May and 16 people were pushed in through Sylhet border on 14 May.

The BSF members gathered some people to push-in through the Singaerbil Union border around 12:00 am Friday, local people said. But the BGB remained alert upon receiving an intelligence report about this.

Besides, hundreds of people gathered near the border in Singarbil, Bishnupur, Nolgaria, Merasani and Noabadi areas of Singarbil Union as announcements were made on mosques’ mike. Many asked people to gather through Facebook live as well.

The BSF members backtracked when the presence of local people became larger.

Stating that the situation remains normal now, Singarbil Union Parishad member Bacchua Mia said, “We asked local people to go to the border when BGB informed us of the BSF attempt around 2:00 am. The BSF left when people gathered there.”

Another UP member Mamun Chowdhury said, “We announced on mike when BSF members tried to push-in people through the border. Local people gathered in the border areas with the help of the BGB. As a result, they were forced to backtrack.”

Though he could not confirm the number of people the BSF brought to send into Bangladesh forcibly, he assumed the number could be several hundred. The BGB also said so.

BGB-25 battalion is the custodian of 31 km of the 4,096 km border that Bangladesh and India share.

Speaking about the situation, the BGB battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Jabbar Ahmed told Prothom Alo on Friday, “We received information about BSF’s attempt on Friday to push-in some people through the border. Following this, patrolling of the BGB-25 members was enhanced and they were asked to remain vigilant along the border from Thursday night. Local people also joined the BGB members spontaneously from around 1:00 am. No incident of push-in or anything unwarranted also took place.”

Declining some media reports about exchange of gunfire, the BGB battalion commander further said, “It’s hard to say about the number of people attempted to be pushed in as no such incident took place. But there were attempts of push-in.”

Bijoynagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sadhana Tripura told Prothom Alo, “The border situation is normal now. There was a push-in attempt through the border on Thursday night but the BSF’s attempt did not succeed as local people and BGB jointly foiled the effort. We all are vigilant now.”