India pushing people into Bangladesh at border not right, says Advisor Khalilur

He says only verified Bangladeshi citizens will be accepted, that too via “formal channels”

With reports swirling over the Indian border troopers forcing people into Bangladeshi territory, National Security Advisor Khalilur Rahman has denounced the action saying it is “not right” and not everyone will be allowed to enter.

Speaking at the foreign ministry on Wednesday, he said Dhaka would accept individuals only if they are proven to be Bangladeshi citizens—through a proper verification process and via “formal channels”.

His remarks came amid reports that India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has forced more than 100 people across several points of the border into Bangladesh in a single day.

Among those labelled as “intruders”, eight have been identified as Bangladeshi while the others claim to be Rohingya and residents of India’s Gujarat.

On Wednesday morning, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained 44 people in Kurigram and 66 more in Khagrachhari for “illegal entry”.

According to the authorities, 66 Indian nationals crossed into Bangladesh through the Matiranga and Panchari borders in Khagrachhari.

Of them, 15 were detained from the Taindong border of Matiranga around 4:30am, 27 from the Shantipur border in Gomti union, and 24 from the Rupsen Para border in Logang union of Panchari, BGB officials said.

Acting Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Khagrachhari Nazmun Ara Sultana confirmed the incident and said locals first alerted the authorities, after which the BGB detained the “intruders”.

All the detainees speak Bengali and claim to be residents of Gujarat.

They said the BSF members “flew them in” from Gujarat and “forced them across the border” into Bangladesh.

“As of the latest update, 66 Indian nationals have been pushed in. The BGB is handling the matter and all detainees remain in their custody,” the ADC said.

She added, “Local administration and police are maintaining constant communication with the BGB. We are working to have them [intruders] pushed back as soon as possible.”

Asked about the government’s position in light of the developments, Khalilur said: “We are receiving these reports as well. We are reviewing each case individually.

“Our position is clear: we will accept only those who are verifiably our citizens, through legal means. This method of push-in is not acceptable.”

When asked if Bangladesh would raise the issue formally with New Delhi, Khalilur, who is also the chief advisor’s top aide, said: “We are already trying to communicate with the Indian government on the matter.”