Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami and a coalition of opposition parties have announced a series of protests along the India-Bangladesh border over alleged “push-ins” and the reported deaths of Bangladeshi nationals near the frontier.
The Jamaat-led 11-party alliance said demonstrations will be held in border districts and key frontier areas on June 12, followed by a rally and procession in Dhaka on June 15.
The announcement comes amid growing debate in Bangladesh over allegations that India has been forcing people across the border. The issue was recently raised by Dhaka during Director General-level talks between India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh’s Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in New Delhi.
India has denied the allegations, maintaining that it is only repatriating illegal foreign nationals through established legal procedures and bilateral arrangements after proper verification.
Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka, AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, coordinator of the alliance and a senior Jamaat leader, said protest rallies would be organised across border districts. The alliance also plans to hold seminars and a roundtable discussion in Dhaka as part of its campaign.
National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Nasiruddin Patwari, who was present at the event, claimed residents living near the border were facing a humanitarian challenge. He called for strengthening the BGB and urged local communities to form a “human shield” to prevent the entry of what he described as terrorists, smugglers and criminals.
Jamaat leaders alleged that dozens of push-in incidents had taken place in recent months and claimed several Bangladeshi nationals had been killed or injured in BSF firing. The party also accused Indian authorities of attempting to send people into Bangladesh through various border points.
New Delhi has consistently rejected such claims. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently said India expects Bangladesh to expedite nationality verification so that the repatriation of illegal migrants can proceed smoothly.
According to the Indian government, all illegal foreign nationals staying in India are being repatriated in accordance with domestic laws and existing bilateral mechanisms.
The protests are expected to bring the issue from diplomatic discussions to the streets, adding a political dimension to an already sensitive border matter between the two neighbouring countries.