Kolkata: Tension prevailed at the Sitalkuchi fenced land border area of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal Friday morning after panicked Bangladeshi nationals, numbering nearly a thousand, assembled on the other side of the fence in their bid to cross over to India and seek refuge.
The attempt was, however, foiled by the BSF which maintained a strict vigil at the border. The Bangladeshis were later removed from the spot by the Border Guards Bangladesh personnel, the Border Security Force confirmed.
The crowd, allegedly comprising mostly Bangladeshi Hindus, assembled some 400 metres away from the fence alongside a water body at the Genduguri and Doikhawa villages in the Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh.
Heavy deployment of the 157 Battalion of the BSF at the Pathantuli village, maintaining vigil on automobiles and on foot, made the infiltration bid of the foreigners impossible.
The disappointed Bangladeshis were heard raising slogans in support of their demand for entry into Indian soil.
When inquired about the incident, a senior BSF official confirmed that a large number of Bangladeshis had assembled at the border but were later taken back by the BGB.
“The Bangladeshis had gathered at the border, but none were able to enter the country as the border was completely sealed. They were later taken back by the BGB into their own country,” the official said.
In a statement released later in the day by the Guwahati Frontier of the BSF, the organisation called the development a “new border challenge”.
“This emerging challenge is new to the BSF, which is primarily entrusted with the security of India’s borders along both Bangladesh and Pakistan. Faced with the delicate task of managing humanitarian concerns while ensuring border security, the BSF demonstrated exceptional professionalism, with its officers and men swiftly responding to the situation,” the statement read.
It outlined how the force promptly approached its Bangladeshi counterpart, the BGB, to take the people away without escalating tension.
“This operation underscores the BSF’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding India’s borders while also recognizing the importance of addressing humanitarian concerns with compassion and strict adherence to international standards,” the statement added.
Severe and bloody anti-government protests in Bangladesh over the past three weeks, which led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government and the taking over of the country’s administration by an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, has resulted in an overall death of 469 people till reports last received.
Local media outlets have reported severe persecution of minorities in that country in the wake of the violence leading to several attempts by panicked Bangladeshis to illegally cross over to India over the past few days.
Coinciding with the development, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the setting up of a high-level committee to monitor the eastern border situation of the country and ensure safety of Indian citizens living in those areas.
In a post on his X handle, Shah wrote, “In the wake of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Modi government has constituted a committee to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB). The committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there.”
“The committee will be headed by the ADG, Border Security Force, Eastern Command,” the statement added.
PTI