Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has stated that Bangladesh will not push back individuals entering from India through "push-in" methods if they are verified to be Bangladeshi citizens.
However, Indian nationals and Rohingyas found entering illegally will be sent back through formal repatriation procedures.
He made these remarks while responding to reporters after inaugurating a floating Border Outpost (BOP) of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Boyesing in the Sundarbans on Saturday (May 17).
The adviser said that if any Bangladeshis are found staying illegally in India, they must be returned following due diplomatic procedures. “We’ve spoken with the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka and also sent a letter to India, urging them not to use push-in tactics but to use proper channels instead,” he said.
Dismissing the notion that India’s push-in efforts were provocative, he clarified that Bangladesh has no plans to push Indian nationals back and would instead follow formal processes.
BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, also present at the event, added that citizens are cooperating with BGB to resist any push-in attempts. He stressed the need for increased vigilance to prevent such illegal entries, citing the potential risk of militants or terrorists sneaking in through these routes.
To enhance border security along the remote waterways of the Sundarbans, a new floating BOP has been established at the confluence of the Raimangal River and Boyesing Canal.
This outpost, under the jurisdiction of BGB’s Riverine Border Guard (RBG) Company in the Jessore region, aims to tighten surveillance and security in a highly inaccessible and sensitive border zone.
According to BGB sources, 180 kilometers of Bangladesh`s 4,156-kilometer-long border with India consists of rivers, with around 79 kilometers falling within the Sundarbans region.
Despite difficult terrain and limited resources, the RBG unit has been actively maintaining border security using one land-based BOP, two floating BOPs, a patrol ship, and several small boats.
However, with a 30-kilometer gap between the existing Koikhali BOP and Kachikata floating BOP, there was a pressing need for an additional outpost in the Boyesing area.
The newly launched BOP will be manned by 35 BGB personnel under the command of two officers. Their responsibilities will include curbing cross-border trafficking of women and children, smuggling of drugs and goods, unauthorized movement of foreign vessels, and safeguarding the natural resources of the Sundarbans.
The inauguration was attended by senior officials, including the Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Mostak Ahmed, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Monirul Islam, and Shyamnagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mosammat Rani Khatun.
