Rights Group Accuses BSF of Stranding Migrants at India-Bangladesh Border
The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), a leading human rights organization in West Bengal, has accused the Border Security Force (BSF) of forcibly attempting to push individuals suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals across the border. According to the organization, these actions have left vulnerable populations, including women and children, stranded in dire conditions within the "no man’s land" between India and Bangladesh.
The APDR reports that BSF personnel have allegedly used intimidation tactics, including the threat of force, to compel these individuals toward the Bangladeshi border. However, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has reportedly refused entry to these individuals, citing a lack of documentation proving their nationality. This stalemate has left dozens of people, including pregnant women and young children, trapped in the zero-point territory without adequate access to food, clean water, or shelter from the elements.
In a press statement, the human rights group characterized the situation as a grave humanitarian crisis. The APDR alleges that while the BSF disclaims responsibility by labeling the stranded individuals as foreigners, the BGB refuses to intervene, claiming the people are of Indian origin. This vacuum of accountability has left families in a perilous state, caught between the armed forces of two nations.
The organization attributes this crisis to the "Detect, Delete, Deport" (3D) policy proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its state election manifesto. The APDR contends that these tactics—which include the establishment of holding centers and active "push-back" operations—are both unconstitutional and illegal. According to the group, such policies violate Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and the fundamental right to life and personal liberty, respectively.
Ranjit Sur, vice-president of the APDR, has formally demanded the immediate cessation of the push-back policy and the repatriation of those currently trapped in the border zones. To address the escalating crisis, the organization has called for intervention from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), labeling the current border actions as a crime against humanity. In response to the unfolding events, the APDR has scheduled a protest march in Malda on June 11 to demand the reversal of these controversial border enforcement strategies.
