India’s BSF pulls back 10 people after 72-hour border standoff at Panchagarh zero line

The group remained stranded at the frontier after repeated attempts to force them into Bangladesh failed

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has taken back 10 people, including men, men and children, after nearly 72 hours of tension at the Boro Bari border in Panchagarh Sadar Upazila.

The standoff at the South Pradhanpara border in Haribhasa Union has now ended, according to Lt Col Sirajul Islam, commanding officer of Nilphamari 56 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion.

On Sunday night, the BSF reportedly contacted the BGB and expressed its willingness to take the group back.

The BGB agreed and pressed the BSF to remove them from the border area, Sirajul said.

He added that the BGB had maintained from the outset that any form of push-in was unacceptable.

The force formally conveyed its objection to the BSF, after which the Indian border guards moved the group to one of their camps.

Local resident Yusuf Ali said BSF personnel switched off border lights around 2am on Sunday before attempting to move the 10 people away from the area.

He said they were later placed in a vehicle and taken to a nearby camp.

Another resident, Azad Babu, said such push-in attempts create unrest in the border area and disrupt daily life and movement of local people.

The incident began on Friday morning when BSF attempted to push in 10 people into Bangladesh through the Boro Bari border.

The group was stopped at the border’s zero line near main pillar 758, sub-pillar 5, after the BGB resisted the move, leaving them stranded at the zero line.

After three rounds of flag meetings, the BSF initially refused to take them back before later removing the group.