BGB chief calls for public help to curb push-ins

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui has urged the public to collaborate in preventing India’s ongoing border push-ins, emphasising community vigilance as a key deterrent. 

Speaking to journalists after the inauguration of the BGB’s ‘Boyesing Floating Border Outpost’ (BOP) in the Sundarbans on Saturday Siddiqui highlighted the challenges of securing the expansive border.

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury officially launched the BOP on the day.

The BGB DG identified key push-in hotspots, including Beanibazar, Srimangal, and Habiganj in Sylhet, remote char areas and Roumari in Kurigram, and unpopulated zones in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. “Despite our efforts, push-ins occurred even this morning,” he admitted, noting the 4,096-km border’s vastness makes full coverage impossible. “We can’t guard every spot, so we need public support and are enlisting Ansar’s assistance,” he added. 

Siddiqui stressed that push-ins are illegal, advocating for legal repatriation: “If they’re Bangladeshi citizens, we prefer a formal handover process for the benefit of both nations.”

The BGB has intensified its response, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed and routine measures like flag meetings and protest letters underway. 

Siddiqui encouraged locals to stay alert, saying, “If people notice push-ins and alert our patrols, we can respond swiftly.” He revealed that many returnees possess abandoned ID and Aadhaar cards, complicating verification, and acknowledged the risk of criminals among the push-ins. “All possibilities exist, but we’re strengthening security to protect the nation,” he assured.

The new floating BOP, constructed at Narayanganj Dockyard, targets crime and smuggling along the Raimangal River and Boyesing channel, where a major smuggling ring once thrived. 

“This third floating outpost will enhance our ability to curb illegal activities in the Sundarbans,” Siddiqui said, outlining the Riverine Border Guard Company’s role in patrolling, preventing smuggling, and ensuring border integrity. 

The event saw senior BGB officials, including the Jashore Region Commander, Khulna Sector Commander, and Nildumur Battalion Commander, alongside other officers and soldiers, reinforcing the agency’s commitment under Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s interim government.