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.