By Hafizur Rahman
Dhaka, September 20, 2025: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has once again pushed dozens of people into Bangladesh, including 12 Rohingya refugees, through border points in Moulvibazar and Naogaon, officials confirmed. The incidents occurred on Thursday and Friday, sparking renewed concern over India’s ongoing practice of cross-border pushbacks.
Rising Numbers Since May
With the latest incidents, the total number of people forced across the border by the BSF since May 7 has risen to at least 2,219. Among them, at least 212 are Rohingyas—50 of whom were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in India. Rights advocates warn that these repeated expulsions are compounding the uncertainty facing Rohingya families, many of whom are now caught between statelessness and repeated displacement.
Pushbacks in Sylhet and Naogaon
In Sylhet, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) confirmed that 12 Rohingyas—three men, four women, and five children—were forced into Bangladesh through the Batamoral Panpunji area under Baralekha upazila on Thursday morning. A BGB patrol detained the group soon after their entry.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ariful Haque Chowdhury, commander of BGB’s 52 Battalion, said the Rohingyas were already registered with UNHCR in Bangladesh and were later handed over to Baralekha police. Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sarker Abul Kashem confirmed that they would be transferred to the Ukhiya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar.
In Naogaon, 16 more people, including four women and five children, were pushed into Bangladesh through the Patnitala border early Friday. According to a BGB-14 press release, they crossed via border pillar 254/1-S near Shitalmath outpost and were detained in Ghurki village. Patnitala police chief Sheikh Enayetur Rahman said their identities were being verified, and they would be reunited with their families through the upazila administration.
Flag Meeting in Meherpur
Meanwhile, during a separate flag meeting at Mujibnagar in Meherpur on Friday, the BSF returned four Bangladeshi nationals who had been detained in India. Subedar Abul Bashar, company commander of BGB Mujibnagar, said the men were handed over at the Hridoypur BSF camp before being reunited with their families in Bangladesh.
Concerns Over Rohingya Pushbacks
The repeated expulsions of Rohingya refugees from India have alarmed humanitarian groups. Many of those forced into Bangladesh are already registered with UNHCR but remain at risk of being shuttled between borders without durable solutions. With Bangladesh already hosting over one million Rohingyas in overcrowded camps, these pushbacks add further strain while leaving refugees in a state of deepening insecurity.
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