BSF pushes 24 into Bangladesh through Panchagarh border

Of them, 17 have been detained in Boda and seven in Panchagarh Sadar

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has pushed 24 people into Bangladesh through two separate border points in Panchagarh.

The individuals were detained around midnight on Wednesday at the Shingroad border in Panchagarh Sadar Upazila, and the Malkadanga border in Boda Upazila, according to Lt Col Sheikh Mohammad Badruddoza, captain of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion-56 in Panchagarh.

On Thursday, the BGB handed over seven of the detainees to Panchagarh Sadar Police Station, and 17 to Boda Police Station.

Those detained at the Boda border have been identified as Jahangir Hossain, 55, his wife Rahima Begum, 45, sons Zia, 26, and Hira Mia, 20, Zia’s wife Nazma Begum, 21, and their two children aged 10 and 2.

Also among them were Din Islam, 50, his wife Shiuli Begum, 43, son Al Amin, 28, and four children aged 17, 10, and 6.

Md Jahangir, 47, his wife Honufa Akhter, 34, Hosne Ara Begum, 40, and a 6-year-old child were detained too.

All 17 of the detainees in Boda are residents of Bagerhat.

The seven detained from the Sadar border have been identified as Afsana Khatun, 40, her daughters aged 13 and five, her son Ramzan Molla, 25, his wife Masura Molla, their 2-year-old daughter, and a man named Amir Hossain, all residents of Narail.

Badruddoza said the BGB patrol units detained the individuals shortly after the BSF pushed them across the border.

Locals noticed the group wandering near the border and took them to the local Union Parishad office. They were detained by BGB and later handed over to Boda and Panchagarh Sadar Police Station following initial questioning.

Abdullahil Zaman, chief of Panchagarh Sadar Police, and Azim Uddin, chief of Boda Police, confirmed that BGB handed over the 24 individuals through general diary entries. Police are verifying their identities and will return them to their families.