No Resolution in Flag Meeting, 12 Including Children Stranded at Zero Line for Two Days

A high-level sector-commander and battalion-level flag meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) ended without a resolution today, Saturday. The emergency meeting was convened after the BSF attempted to forcefully push 12 individuals into Bangladeshi territory through the Pragpur border in Daulatpur Upazila.

The formal meeting commenced at 9:30 AM at the Bilgathua border area, adjacent to sub-pillar 150/3-S. The six-member BGB delegation was led by Assistant Director Nurul Huda of the Kushtia 47 BGB Battalion, while Assistant Commandant Sunil Kumar Yadav led a six-member counterpart delegation representing the BSF Raninagar Camp. The brief 20-minute discussion yielded no consensus, leaving the situation deadlocked.

BSF Denies Push-In Allegations Amid Strict Border Vigil

According to BGB operational sources, the BSF delegation flatly denied the allegations of orchestrating a push-in through the Pragpur border stretch. The Indian border force officially refused to take immediate custody of the 12 stranded individuals or withdraw them from the zero-line.

Following a strong institutional protest lodged by the BGB delegation, the BSF requested additional time to investigate the legal identities and records of the individuals before providing a final administrative decision. Consequently, the 12 individuals are being forced to remain at the international boundary line under open skies.

Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies for Detained Families

The diplomatic deadlock has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis at the zero-line. The 12 victims—consisting of four women, four men, and four young children—are currently trapped inside a jute field 50 yards inside Indian territory near border pillar 148/3-S.

The standoff originally began on Friday (June 12) at around 5:30 AM when BSF personnel attempted to push the group through the Bilgathua border point. On-duty BGB patrol teams intercepted the movement and successfully pushed the group back to the international boundary.

Kushtia 47 BGB Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Kamal Roni, maintained a firm stance on national sovereignty and border management:

"The BSF has executed an illegal push-in attempt, which amounts to unauthorized border infiltration. We do not support or condone this action under any circumstances. Our institutional stance remains resolute: the BSF must immediately withdraw these individuals and return them to their home territory." — Lt. Col. Rashed Kamal Roni, Commander, 47 BGB Battalion

In response to the unresolved diplomatic standoff and the ongoing security situation, the BGB has significantly reinforced its operational deployment, introducing intensified day-and-night border patrolling across the entire Kushtia frontier to thwart any further infiltration attempts.