9 more pushed in through Kushtia border by BSF

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained them around 10am from the Bhagojat Bazar area under Ramkrishnapur union of Daulatpur upazila.

Lt Col Mahbub Murshed Rahman, commanding officer of Kushtia-47 BGB Battalion, said the individuals were detained from inside Bangladeshi territory at Bhagojat, and initial evidence suggests they were pushed in by the BSF.

They have been handed over to Daulatpur Police Station after being accused in a case of illegal entry, the BGB official added.

The BGB did manage to confirm they were all Bangladeshis, with their citizenship status 'active'.

The detainees hail from Fulbari and Nageshwari upazilas of Kurigram district, according to BGB.

They are  Md Enamul Haque, 42, of Barovita village in Fulbari; his wife Mosammat Shefali Khatun, 35; their sons Md Liton, 17, and Md Abu Bakkar Siddiq, 14; and daughter Mosammat Khushi Khatun, 11.

The others are Md Saiful Islam, 65, of Kutibamondanga village in Nageshwari; his wife Mosammat Rima, 55; their daughter Mosammat Taslima, 14; and son Md Abdul Hamid, 9.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the two families had entered India illegally about four years ago, said Lt Col Murshed.

Locals said the nine individuals were attempting to return to their home district after re-entering Bangladesh illegally through the Challishpara border point under Ramkrishnapur union when they were detained by a BGB patrol team from the Mahishkundi camp at Bhagojat Bazar.

However, the BSF has illegally pushed almost a thousand individuals into Bangladesh - not all of them Bangladeshis -through various points of the border, disregarding due process since May 7, reports UNB.