At a joint press conference on Thursday, Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Daljit Singh Chowdhury asserted that “push-ins” of individuals into Bangladesh are being carried out following proper legal procedures.
He clarified that only unauthorized entrants are being returned, and so far 550 individuals have been handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), with 2,400 cases still under verification. The Bangladesh High Commission is assisting in the process.
The statement came during the concluding day of the 56th Director-General-level India-Bangladesh border conference, held at the Shahid Captain Ashraf Hall in the BGB headquarters in Pilkhana.
BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddique and other senior BGB officials were present.
Addressing questions on whether Indian citizens or Rohingya individuals were also being pushed back—a practice that could raise human rights concerns—DG Chowdhury emphasized that all actions are conducted through legal and established channels.
Regarding reports of an Indian citizen’s child being pushed back, he said India would provide support if the matter were reported through proper channels.
When asked whether push-ins are based on religion or language, he stated that both countries have well-established legal repatriation procedures for border law violations. Any Indian national found crossing the border illegally is received immediately under this framework.
On border killings, the BGB and BSF reached agreements during the conference to strengthen night patrols in vulnerable areas and ban the use of lethal weapons to prevent repeat incidents.
Both sides also agreed on joint awareness campaigns, socio-economic development initiatives in risk-prone areas, and measures to prevent cross-border crime, aiming to reduce attacks and abuses to zero, BGB DG Siddique noted.
DG Chowdhury added that in the first six months of this year, 35 BSF personnel were seriously injured by sharp weapons during border incidents.
He emphasized that firing is only used as a last resort after warnings and attempts to restrain intruders.
BGB DG Siddique, however, voiced concerns about a recent incident in which a young Bangladeshi was fatally shot in broad daylight, questioning the level of risk that justified such action.
The 56th DG-level border conference formally began on August 26 at BGB headquarters and concluded Thursday.
Bangladesh was represented by a 21-member delegation led by DG Siddique, including senior BGB officials and representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministries of Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Shipping, Road Transport, Land Survey, Joint River Commission, and the Department of Narcotics Control.
The 11-member Indian delegation, led by DG Chowdhury, included senior BSF officials as well as representatives from India’s Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs, and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Following the conclusion of the conference, the Indian delegation returned to India later on Thursday.
