India pushes 20 more into Bangladesh in latest border expulsion
Group includes women and children; over 2,000 people pushed into Bangladesh since late April, including Indian Muslims
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Indian border forces have forcibly pushed 20 people—including women and children—into Bangladesh through the Masudpur border in northwestern Chapainawabganj, in what Dhaka says is part of a growing pattern of illegal deportations.
The incident took place around 4:45 a.m. on Wednesday, during heavy rains, when personnel from India’s Border Security Force (BSF) used the cover of bad weather to send the group across the international border near pillar 4/5-1S.
According to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the group consisted of three men, seven women, and ten children. BGB officials say the individuals had crossed into India nearly a decade ago from Kurigram and were working at a brick kiln in the northern state of Haryana.
Lieutenant Colonel Fahad Mahmud Rinku, who commands BGB Battalion 53, said the group had been detained by Indian police in Haryana and later handed over to the BSF, which carried out the pushback operation.
BGB troops stationed near the border intercepted the group shortly after they crossed into Bangladesh and provided temporary shelter while verifying their identities. The group is expected to be handed over to local police for further processing.
Rights advocates in Bangladesh and India say the latest incident reflects an ongoing pattern by Indian authorities to expel undocumented workers and migrants without formal repatriation procedures, disproportionately targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Since late April, India has reportedly pushed over 2,000 individuals into Bangladesh. Among them are not just Bangladeshi nationals, but also Indian Muslims who are being treated as “foreigners” despite holding valid documents.
Last week, Indian authorities pushed four Bengali-speaking Indian Muslims into Bangladesh through the same region. Despite providing identity cards, the group was expelled. They returned to India on Sunday after media outcry and intervention from Muslim groups.
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