The United Nations has called on Bangladesh and India to resolve the issue of “push-ins” of people across the border through dialogue and respect for human rights.
“I think it is incumbent on the two countries to work out this issue through dialogue and full respect for people's human rights and human dignity,” said UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric during a press briefing in New York today (local time), responding to a Bangladeshi journalist’s question.
On Wednesday, Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) had prevented 36 push-in attempts by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) since the West Bengal assembly polls. He added that 2,369 people had been pushed into Bangladesh since August 5, 2024, with 2,175 handed over to police stations, 11 returned to BSF, and 183 pushed back.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) also accused Indian authorities of forcibly expelling ethnic Bengali residents, mostly Muslims, from West Bengal to Bangladesh without due process. In a statement, HRW said actions by BSF and BGB’s efforts to block entry had left dozens of families stranded in the border’s zero line.
HRW also urged India to stop unlawful expulsions, ensure procedural safeguards, verify citizenship with Bangladeshi authorities, and end what it described as “this dismaying animosity toward Muslims.”