United News of Bangladesh

For 12-year-old Rozina Akhter, life was once centred on school, family and dreams of a brighter future. A sixth-grade student at a school in Kolkata, India, Rozina had been living with her parents and five siblings in West Bengal. Today, however, she finds herself stranded along the Bangladesh-India border, uncertain about what lies ahead. Rozina is among 11 people — including women, men and children — who were allegedly pushed towards the Bangladesh border by India's Border Security Force (BSF) at the Mashalgaon border in Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon early Friday. Nearly 48 hours later, no solution has been reached despite two rounds of flag meetings between border authorities. As a result, the group has been forced to spend three days in difficult conditions near the border. They have been struggling with limited food and drinking water under scorching sun and rain. Local residents of the Mashalgaon border area have provided some dry food on humanitarian grounds, but it remains insufficient for the stranded families. Among them is Rozina's mother, who is nine months pregnant, and her younger brother, who has a disability. Overwhelmed by uncertainty, Rozina says she only wants to return home and resume her studies.  

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday said all important border-related issues including push-ins across the frontier will be discussed at the four-day director general-level meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India's Border Security Force (BSF). “The DG-level meeting is held alternately in Bangladesh and India. This time it is our turn to visit India. All relevant issues will be discussed there,” he told reporters at Secretariat. Bangladesh is already engaging with India through diplomatic channels on border-related concerns while the country's border guards remain on alert.  “We will, InshaAllah, resist all attempts of border push-ins. However, these issues should primarily be resolved through diplomatic discussions,” he added. The 57th Director General (DG)-level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) will be held in New Delhi from June 8 to 11. A 15-member Bangladesh delegation, led by BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, will participate in the four-day conference. The Indian delegation will be led by the BSF Director General and will comprise senior BSF officials as well as representatives from India's Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and other relevant agencies. This is the first DG-level talks between the border guard forces of the two countries since the BNP government came to power in February this year.