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Published : 08 Jun 2026, 07:41 PM
The government has pushed back against reported attempts to send people across the border from India, calling for adherence to agreed “diplomatic norms”.
The way people are being pushed out of India is “absolutely unacceptable” and both countries should follow “diplomatic procedures” to return any illegal immigrants, if any, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said on Monday.
In response to a question at the foreign ministry on Monday, she said: “We are following all the diplomatic norms. We regularly write to them [India] whenever we hear of or see reports of push-ins.
The reaction comes amid continued efforts of push-ins and border standoffs.
Shama said Bangladesh expects New Delhi to address the issue through diplomatic channels and established mechanisms.
“We hope that the Indian government will take this seriously and resolve this issue through appropriate mechanisms and diplomacy,” she said.
On Jun 1, she said Bangladesh would continue to resist any attempt to push people across the border from India under the label of “infiltrators”.
She added that Dhaka expects India’s stated willingness to adjust to Bangladesh’s evolving circumstances to be reflected in practical steps on the ground.
On Monday, Shama said any repatriation of undocumented migrants or prisoners should follow diplomatic procedures, which is essential for “improving bilateral relations”.
“If they do it through this push-in, it will definitely not be good for us,” she said.
“And that is the India-Bangladesh relationship, which we say is trying to reach new heights and they too talk of a paradigm shift; if that paradigm shift has to happen, the diplomacy and the existing process should be adopted by the two countries,” she added.
Tension has persisted along parts of the Bangladesh-India border in recent days amid repeated allegations of attempted “push-ins”.
The Indian Border Security Force has taken back several groups following resistance from the Border Guard Bangladesh and local residents.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over humanitarian conditions, as several individuals remain stranded along the zero line.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said around 4,800 “illegal immigrants” had been sent back to Bangladesh from detention facilities in border districts, according to Indian media reports, while another 836 were awaiting repatriation.
Shama said the BGB was firmly resisting such attempts, saying: “we are not allowing push-ins in any way.”
Referring to the repatriation of 34 individuals from Chennai, she said there already exists a mechanism for returning undocumented nationals between the two countries.
“If there are any illegal Indian citizens in Bangladesh or any undocumented Bangladeshi in India, there is a mechanism to return them to their own countries,” she said.
The minister added that Bangladesh had written to the Indian government 12 to 13 times on the issue but had yet to receive a response.
However, Delhi has claimed it provided Dhaka with a list of more than 2,500 individuals for verification in the repatriation process.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently said Bangladesh had not completed screening even after nearly five years.
Shama Obaed said last week, “I am not aware of any list at the moment. But if there is any, the relevant department is definitely looking at it.”
Responding on Monday to whether the ongoing “push-in” attempts could affect efforts to improve bilateral relations, she said each incident should be viewed separately.
“Every event, every case is different. One is not related to the other.
“But if this incident happens at the border and the Indian government takes it seriously, it will be much easier for us to move the relationship forward,” she added.
