Staff Correspondent:

Amid rising instances of people being driven into Bangladesh across various borders from India, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said these “push-ins” do not necessarily exhibit provocative intentions by India as such incidents were common during his tenure as chief of the country’s border security force.

Jahangir made the remarks in response to questions from reporters after inaugurating the third floating border outpost (BOP) at the confluence of Roymongol River and Boyesing Canal under Shyamnagar Upazila in Satkhira on Saturday.

On Sunday, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) pushed a group of 78 “Bengali-speaking” across the border into Bangladesh and left them on Mandarbaria shoal in Satkhira before they were rescued by the Forest Department and later handed over to the local police station by the Coast Guard.

The newly set up BOP was located near the Indian border, about 20km from the Mandarbaria shoal.

“It [push-in] does not seem provocative. Since they have done this before, long ago, when I was DG [director general] BDR [now BGB].”

Jahangir was the chief of the now defunct BDR from January 2003 to February 2006.

Outlining steps he took when similar incidents had taken place while he was in charge of the paramilitary force, he said: “We have told them that if any Bangladeshis are in India, send them back through proper channels. There’s always a proper channel. I’ve also sent Indians who were in Bangladesh back through proper channels.

“BUT WE DO NOT PUSH ANYONE IN.”

Jahangir said a letter will be written to India to seek a diplomatic solution to put a stop to these incidents. He also said that he had spoken to Khalilur Rahman, the chief advisor’s top aide who is also the foreign affairs and national security advisor, about the matter.

On why these incidents are taking place, he said: “A few days ago, you heard that there was a colony in Gujarat, like a Bengali colony, a Bengali slum. They [Indian authorities] tore it down. What’s happening now began after that.”

Since then, the BGB has reported at least 370 people being pushed across various points of the border into Bangladesh by the BSF.

Jahangir also said a “protest letter” has been sent regarding the “push-in” of UNHCR cardholders across the border. “Some Rohingya people are also coming in. They were in our country and had left. [India] is also sending over Rohingya refugees. So we have sent a protest letter.”

On whether any action will be taken against illegal Indian nationals in Bangladesh, he said: “I will not say that there are no illegal Indians in Bangladesh either, but I request you to let us know if there are any, so that we can send them back through proper channels.”

Jahangir firmly maintained that no citizens of Bangladesh would be “pushed back”.

“We have no right to push back [Bangladeshi citizens]. And about the illegal Indians, we will not push them back. We will send them through the proper channels.”

EFFORTS TO PREVENT “PUSH-INS”

Also present at the inauguration ceremony was BGB Director General (DG) Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui.

He said, “The areas where push-ins are mainly occurring are Beanibazar, Srimangal, Habiganj in Sylhet. Meanwhile, it is mainly happening in the shoal areas and remote places of Rowmari in Kurigram district, and to some extent in the uninhabited areas of the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

“We are trying to prevent this. To be honest, there were some push-ins this morning too. Since our border is so expansive, it is not possible to guard every spot. That is why we have sought the help of the people and we are also taking the help of the Ansar.”

The foreign ministry announced an “all-out effort” by the BGB at the border, he said, adding that flag meetings, protest letters and other actions are in progress as well.

Turning to the issue of involving the public in these measures, he said: “If the locals also keep watch on those near their border and inform our patrols about any potential push-ins, they can quickly respond.”

He also said that their patrols and manpower have been boosted and sought “information support” from the public.

On whether militants or criminals could possibly enter the country during these incidents, Ashrafuzzaman said: “Nothing can be ruled out. Everything is possible from all sides. However, we are trying to ensure strong security so that no harm comes to our country.”