Thirteen individuals stuck at Zero Line as Bangladesh’s BGB denies entry
Bangladeshi leaders are opposing India’s efforts to repatriate illegal immigrants, labeling it an infringement on sovereignty and a threat to national security. On Tuesday, India is said to have returned 67 Bangladeshis, while 13 individuals were still stranded at the Zero Line between the nations on Wednesday.
A senior official of the Bangladesh Army stated on May 26 that India’s “influx” of undocumented individuals was “intolerable” and the military was prepared to intervene if necessary.
As per data from the Indian government, approximately 20 million undocumented immigrants were living in India in 2016. The majority of those would be undocumented migrants from Bangladesh.
ALSO READ: Omar Abdullah: CM: LG Responsible for Tourist Security
Reports from Indian media state that approximately 100 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have been released to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), which is the nation’s border-protecting paramilitary organization. Nonetheless, Bangladeshi media reported that more than 800 people had been “forcibly sent into” the country by the Border Security Force (BSF).
The BGB, supported by local villagers in Bangladesh, “thwarted” the BSF’s “effort to infiltrate 57 individuals into Bangladesh” early Wednesday at six various border locations in Lalmonirhat district, according to news agency United News of Bangladesh.
Cooch Behar in West Bengal is located just across from Lalmonirhat.
The Daily Star stated that 13 people, including women and babies, were still stuck at the zero line in Lalmonirghat, “unable to enter Bangladesh and refused re-entry into India.”
The report indicated that BGB staff and residents arrived at the location after hearing that the BSF was returning illegal immigrants.
