Three West Bengal residents pushed into Bangladesh by BSF, return after State govt.'s intervention
Three West Bengal residents working in Mumbai were allegedly pushed into Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF) earlier this week and on Sunday (June 15, 2025) returned to the country from the State's Cooch Behar district
Minajul Sheikh, a resident of Beldanga in Murshidabad district, told The Hindu that his brother Minarul Sheikh was picked up from Mumbai where he was working and subsequently forced into Bangladesh.
'We got a call from one of the men in the group saying Minarul is in Bangladesh. We have approached the police at the Beldanga police station and the police assured us that they will return soon,' Minajul said.
Not only Minarul Sheikh, at least two other workers were pushed into Bangladesh. The three workers — Minraul Sheikh and Nizamuddin Sheikh from Murshidabad and Mostafa Kamal Sheikh from Purba Bardhaman — also sent a video message to their relatives where they can be heard pleading before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other public representatives of the State to ensure their return to India.
After the West Bengal government raised the issue, the workers were repatriated to India through the Mekhliganj border in Bangladesh on Sunday afternoon. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member and chairperson of West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board Samirul Islam said when the workers were picked up by the police in Mumbai, all necessary documents were provided by the State government.
'What has happened is very unfortunate and illegal. These are citizens of India and cannot be illegally pushed into Bangladesh in such a manner,' Mr. Islam said.
Officer-in-Charge of the Mekhliganj Police Station Mani Bhusan Sarkar said that after he received information from police stations in Murshidabad and Bardhaman about the Indian nationals in Bangladesh, he informed authorities of the BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh.
'The three men were handed over to us [Mekhliganj police station] after a flag meeting at the border,' the Officer-in-Charge said. According to sources, the three men were pushed into Bangladesh on Friday night somewhere along North Bengal and Bangladesh border.
Over the past several months, India has been 'pushing back' undocumented Bangladeshi migrants detained across the country through the eastern border. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has expressed concern to India about the 'push back' of individuals across the border, particularly undocumented migrants.
There is no official word about the 'push back' from the BSF. While instances of the 'push back' of Bangladeshi nationals has come to the fore in Assam and Tripura, on this occasion, nationals of West Bengal were pushed into Bangladesh.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Canada-India ties: Modi, Carney to hold talks at G7 summit
Calgary, Alberta: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet, for the first time, G7 host and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the global summit on Tuesday. According to the outlet Globe and Mail, they will have a 'one-on-one meeting'. The format of that meeting has yet to be reported. Modi is scheduled to arrive in Calgary on Monday evening (local time) and travel to the summit venue, the resort of Kananaskis the next morning for the G7 outreach session. During the course of a press conference in Calgary on Sunday, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said that as the host of the G7, Carney 'must engage with global leaders on issues of global concern – on economic strength and trade diversification, on AI digital technology, on protecting green space from forest fires, on ensuring that defence and security are top of mind'. Asked about the principal irritant in the relationship, the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023, she said, 'On the bilateral front, it is fundamentally important to realise and to continue to recognise that the rule of law and system of investigation that the RCMP is undertaking will not compromised.' 'There is a law enforcement dialogue which is occurring between the two countries now,' she added. There are positive signals about the dialogue, as indicated by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme in an interview with the network CTV on June 12. He said, 'The RCMP is engaged with its counterparts in India, and we are rebuilding that relationship. We want to fight the same crimes. We have common interest in it, and it's important to keep on building that relationship with our Indian counterparts.' 'We are rebuilding these relationships. The conversations have been positive and we're looking at planning other meetings with them as well,' he added. Both countries are aiming for a reset in the troubled relationship and that could also return India to its position as a significant factor in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy. When it was originally released in November 2022, that Strategy, it defined India as 'a critical partner in Canada's pursuit of its objectives.' Among the nations at the G7, as many as four – Japan, India, Korea and Australia – are from the region, while another, Indonesia was unable to participate. Global Affairs Canada, the country's foreign ministry, has recently been highlighting that strategy. That is part of Canada's 'review of foreign policy in general to reduce dependence on the United States, ' Vina Nadjibulla, the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada's vice-president, research and strategy, said, adding, 'It shows Carney wants to diversify Canada's economic and security partnerships.' She noted that while two years have been lost between India and Canada when it comes to the diplomatic and political fronts, commercial and economic ties. The 'Indo' in the Strategy will 'come into greater focus' if the two PMs are able to take the relationship forward, she said. The Indian PM's visit to Canada, the first since he came on a bilateral trip in April 2015, will be brief, lasting under 24 hours, before he leaves for Croatia.
India Today
32 minutes ago
- India Today
PM to arrive in Canada today for G7, Indian community hopes for better ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive in Calgary, Canada, later today to attend the G7 Summit following an official invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. This marks Modi's first visit to Canada since diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Ottawa turned frosty over the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh G7 is an informal grouping of the world's most industrialised economies: France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and Canada. Alongside these nations, representatives from the European Union, the IMF, the World Bank, and the United Nations also between India and Canada escalated after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in Nijjar's killing, an allegation New Delhi strongly rejected as 'baseless.' India Today's Gaurav Sawant, currently in Calgary to cover the summit, reported visible enthusiasm among the Indian community ahead of PM Modi's arrival. Speaking to him, one community member said, 'This trip of PM Modi is going to improve the relations between the two countries. We welcome PM Mark Carney's invitation to India.'Another community member added, 'India is bringing innovation to the world, and Canada needs it. India can support Canada's development.'One of the members said, 'India's participation in the G7 indicates how it is emerging as a power. Being a developing country, it has left its mark. PM Modi is a born leader, and it can't be a complete G7 without him.'Must Watch IN THIS STORY#Canada
India Today
33 minutes ago
- India Today
Israel pounds Iran for third night, Tehran claims 224 killed, including generals
Israel and Iran continued to exchange missile strikes between Sunday night and early Monday, ignoring international appeals for a ceasefire as hostilities entered their third consecutive accused Israel of targeting its oil refineries and killing the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) along with two other senior generals. Iran also said several population centres were hit in the latest wave of to Iranian health officials, the death toll since the Israeli offensive began on Friday has climbed to 224, with 1,277 others injured. Authorities did not specify how many of the casualties were civilians or military personnel. Israel, targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure and military leadership, said Tehran has launched more than 270 missiles since Friday. While most were intercepted by Israel's multi-layered air defence system, 22 managed to breach the shield, hitting residential suburbs, killing 14 people, and injuring 390 others, according to news agency Associated DEVELOPMENTS IN ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT Air raid sirens blared across Jerusalem late on Sunday, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirming "Iranian missiles incoming". Several videos captured the dramatic scene: missiles streaking over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, many intercepted mid-air by Israel's multi-layered defence system. advertisement In swift retaliation, Israel reportedly struck back with targeted airstrikes on Iranian positions, prompting Iran to activate its air defence systems in the southwest, according to local media. Claiming near-total freedom in Iranian airspace, Israel said its Sunday strikes targeted Iran's Defense Ministry, missile launch sites, and factories making air defence components. Iran acknowledged the strikes killed more top generals, including Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief Brigadier General Mohammad Kazemi and his deputy, General Hassan Mohaqiq. In a striking revelation of how far Israel was willing to escalate, a US official told the Associated Press that US President Donald Trump blocked an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — the country's highest authority, who holds sweeping powers over state policy, the military, and the elite Revolutionary Guard. Meanwhile, India is closely monitoring the security situation in Iran and engaging with its citizens and students residing in the conflict-torn Middle East country. "In some cases, students are being relocated with Embassy's facilitation to safer places within Iran. Other feasible options are also under examination. Further updates will follow. Separately, the Embassy is in touch with community leaders regarding welfare and safety," the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Israeli strikes have gone beyond Iran's military sites, hitting government buildings and key infrastructure, Iranian authorities said. Among the latest targets were the Foreign Ministry and several energy facilities, including the Shahran oil depot north of Tehran and a fuel tank to the south, both of which caught fire on Sunday. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh and other diplomats posted photos of the Foreign Ministry's office and library, riddled with shrapnel. advertisementIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed mounting international calls for de-escalation, insisting Tel Aviv will pursue its military objectives. Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu suggested that regime change in Iran "could certainly be the result" of the ongoing conflict. He also alleged that Israeli intelligence had uncovered Iranian plans to transfer nuclear weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen. Iran's state TV aired harrowing scenes from downtown Tehran, showing men and women pulling bloodied, dust-covered children from the rubble of residential buildings struck by Israeli missiles. Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour claimed that 90% of the 224 people killed on Sunday were civilians. advertisement Early Sunday, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said at least six people — including a 10-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl — were killed when a missile struck a high-rise apartment in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv. A local police commander told Associated Press that 180 others were wounded and seven remained missing. Residents, dazed and dust-covered, picked through the rubble to salvage belongings as rescue teams combed through mangled steel and broken glass in search of more bodies. Israel launched the offensive with a surprise strike on Friday, killing top Iranian military commanders and damaging nuclear facilities. Iran has vowed to "open the gates of hell" in retaliation. Iran has also reportedly threatened to target the US, the UK and French military bases and ships in the region if they attempted to block Iranian strikes on Israel, news agency Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Donald Trump praised Israel's military offensive against Iran while denying Tehran's claims of direct American involvement. He warned Iran against expanding its retaliation to hit US targets. However, two US officials confirmed to the Associated Press that American forces helped intercept Iranian missiles aimed at Israel during Friday's barrage. Tune InMust Watch
