India must stop border push-ins

India's unilateral push-in of around 300 individuals through various border areas of Bangladesh since May 7 is condemnable, as it violates diplomatic norms and established border management rules. Worryingly, it appears that the push-ins may continue. The BGB chief, in a recent briefing, said they learned about another 200 to 300 individuals who had been gathered on the other side of the Khagrachhari border, and that India's Border Security Force (BSF) is trying to push them into Bangladesh. Under the circumstances, the government has rightly demanded an immediate halt to these unilateral exercises by sending a protest letter to Delhi.

According to media reports, between May 7 and May 9, around 300 individuals were pushed in through areas such as Panchhari, Jamini Para, and Khedachhara in Khagrachhari; parts of Moulvibazar; the Roumari char regions of Kurigram; and Mandarbaria island in the Sundarbans. Among them were at least 39 people from the Rohingya community—some had previously been registered in Bangladesh's Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) camps but later crossed into India, while at least five were found holding UNHCR refugee cards issued from India. Three Indian nationals were also found among the pushed-in people. The rest are Bangladeshis who had migrated to India in the last 20–25 years; many have families and children who possess Indian nationality documents. While the BGB has taken steps to send the Bangladeshi nationals to their respective home districts through local administrations, the wider impact of such random push-ins cannot be overlooked.

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India's unilateral 'push-ins' in Bangladesh a blow to already strained ties

It is expected that any return of such individuals would be carried out through proper channels, in line with established norms and regulations. But the way India is pushing people through remote, hard-to-patrol border points into Bangladesh violates the 1975 India-Bangladesh Joint Guidelines for border authorities, the 2011 Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), and decisions made during director general-level talks between the BGB and BSF. India's actions on its eastern border also set a bad precedent for its relations with neighbouring countries, especially in light of the recent conflict on its western border. And with its ties with Bangladesh already strained since the 2024 July uprising, such unilateral push-ins may only worsen the situation. Most importantly, these actions threaten our border security, which is totally unacceptable.

We urge the government to strongly raise these issues with the Indian authorities, question why Rohingya people were sent to Bangladesh instead of Myanmar, and, most importantly, why proper procedures were not followed in India's actions. If necessary, the government must involve the international community to put an end to such actions.