TDS Desk:

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained 16 individuals, including women and children, for illegally entering Bangladesh from India through the Atgram border in Zakiganj upazila of Sylhet on Wednesday morning.

Lieutenant Colonel Zubayer Anwar, commanding officer of BGB Battalion 19, said, a patrol team from the 19 BGB Battalion apprehended the group around 8am.

Among those detained were eight men, six women, and two children, aged between approximately 5 and 55 years.

BGB officials stated that the detainees claimed to be Bangladeshi nationals but admitted to having lived illegally in India for an extended period.

Acting on a tip-off, BGB increased surveillance along the border. The individuals were detained while attempting to cross the border illegally from India through the Atgram area.

A BGB spokesperson said: “Initial questioning of the detainees is underway. We are verifying how they entered India, their means of living there, and the route they used to return. Legal procedures will be followed accordingly.”

According to BGB sources, border surveillance was intensified based on a tip-off. Later, the 16 individuals were detained while crossing into Bangladesh illegally through the Atgram border area.

The detainees are currently undergoing preliminary investigation, and steps are being taken to hand them over to the police for further legal action.