13 Stuck At Zero Line As India, Bangladesh Stand Firm On Illegal Immigrants: Report

Last Updated:May 28, 2025, 23:50 IST

Earlier this week, a senior Bangladesh Army officer had said that the “pushing in" of undocumented individuals by Indian authorities was “unacceptable."

The Petrapole Border is one of the largest land ports that India shares with Bangladesh and is a crucial land route between the neighbours. (News18)

Indian efforts to repatriate illegal immigrants are being opposed by Bangladeshi leaders, asserting that these actions are an attack on their nation’s sovereignty and pose a significant security risk to Bangladesh.

On Tuesday, India reportedly sent back 67 Bangladeshi nationals. This was followed by a situation on Wednesday morning where 13 individuals were stranded at the Zero Line, the unofficial border between the two countries, Bangladeshi local reports said.

Earlier this week, a senior Bangladesh Army officer had said that the “pushing in" of undocumented individuals by Indian authorities was “unacceptable," adding that the force was prepared to intervene if necessary.

While speaking to the reporters, Director of Bangladesh Military Operations Directorate (MOD) Brigadier General Md Nazim-ud-Daula had said that the border guarding force was doing their duty and managing the situation very well as of now, as reported by Dhaka-based The Daily Star.

Indian authorities have been apprehending Bangladeshis residing illegally in India and transferring them to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel. A 2016 government estimate indicated that approximately 20 million undocumented immigrants were living in India.

As per a report by The Hindu,  around 100 Bangladeshi illegal immigrants have been handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) till April 30, 2025.

A Dhaka-based newspaper, New Age, allegedly claimed that India’s Border security Force (BSF) have pushed over 800 individuals, including Indian nationals and Rohingya into Bangladesh since May 7.

The report said BGB personnel and locals reached the spot upon learning that the BSF was sending back illegal immigrants.

Additionally, Daily Star reported that 13 individuals, including women and infants, remained stranded at the zero line at West Bengal’s Lalmonirghat, “unable to cross into Bangladesh and denied re-entry into India".

Earlier on May 18, Bangladesh Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retired) had said that if any Bangladeshi immigrant was staying illegally in India, they should be repatriated through proper channels. Additionally, he said that Indians found staying illegally would be repatriated through proper diplomatic channels.

Bangladesh does not engage in “push-ins like India but believes in resolving issues through diplomacy", Chowdhury said as quoted by The Dhaka Tribune.

Meanwhile, in a major crackdown on cross-border infiltration, police on Wednesday arrested five Bangladeshi nationals and an Indian tout in West Bengal’s Nadia district. According to police sources, the Bangladeshis had illegally entered India about a year ago and had moved through several states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Bihar, before reaching Hanskhali on Monday.

Additionally, at least 92 illegal Bangladeshi migrants were traced and detained by teams of South West district in Delhi during a 10-days long verification drive against illegal migrants this week. With this, the total number of Bangladeshi nationals detained in the district since December 26, 2024, has reached 142.

Further, an infiltration bid by a “large group of Bangladeshis" through Assam was thwarted by the BSF on Tuesday. The BSF personnel deployed at the border “observed suspicious movement of Bangladesh nationals approaching towards the international boundary from their side to cross into Indian territory.

India-Bangladesh ties soured after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced into exile in August 2024, and the post-Hasina period saw anti-India terrorists and India baiters gain ground.

(With inputs from local reports, agencies)

Location :

Dhaka, Bangladesh

First Published:

News world 13 Stuck At Zero Line As India, Bangladesh Stand Firm On Illegal Immigrants: Report