Violence-Hit Bangladeshis, Mostly Hindus, Try To Flee Across Border For Refuge In India, BSF Sends Them Back: Watch

Nearly 1,000 Bangladeshis seeking refuge in India were returned by the BSF with help from Bangladesh's BGB.

A video of the incident showed the group assembled about 400 meters from the border fence (Image: ANI)

Source : ANI

Nearly 1,000 Bangladeshi nationals, seeking refuge in India, camped near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's Coochbehar District on Friday. Faced with the task of managing humanitarian concerns while ensuring border security, the Guwahati Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) swiftly responded to the escalating situation and sent them back with the help of their counterparts Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), according to an official release. 

A senior BSF official also confirmed that a large number of Bangladeshis, most of whom were Hindus, had assembled at the border but were later taken back by the BGB. A video of the incident showed the group assembled about 400 meters from the border fence near a water body in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat district.

#WATCH | Amid political crisis & violence in Bangladesh, a large number of people from the neighbouring country gather at India-Bangladesh border. They've been stopped by BSF at Zero Point

Visuals across the border in Bangladesh, captured from Indian side at Pathantuli in… pic.twitter.com/uaqYnyKHX4

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2024

“The Bangladeshis had gathered at the border, but none were able to enter the country as the border was completely sealed. They were later taken back by the BGB into their own country,” The Hindu reported quoting a senior BSF official.

The quick and decisive actions of the BSF, in coordination with India's civil administration, were crucial in maintaining order and resolving the issue, the BSF said in an official release.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted a committee, headed by the ADG, Border Security Force, and Eastern Command, to monitor the current Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) situation.

In a letter dated August 9, Under Secretary to the Government of India, Smitha Viju said that the the above committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also informed that the committee has been constituted to monitor the current situation on the India-Bangladesh border.

"In the wake of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Modi government has constituted a committee to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB). The committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there. The committee will be headed by the ADG, Border Security Force, Eastern Command," Shah posted on X.