BGB pushes back nine Rohingyas at Naikhongchhari border

BAISHARI CORRESPONDENT

Nine Rohingyas attempting to enter Bangladesh from Myanmar were detained and later pushed back by the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at the Tumbru West Coast in Ghumdhum, Naikhongchhari upazila, Bandarban.

The BGB’s 34th Battalion intercepted the group around 2:00pm and conducted pushback procedures near the Baishfari point by 4:30 PM, following verification. Baishfari point is close to the 35th border pillar, a known crossing point.

This border activity comes amid escalating tensions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

According to sources, the ongoing conflict between Myanmar’s government forces and the Arakan Army has triggered a movement of residents towards the Bangladesh border seeking safety over the past week.

Considering the situation, the director general of BGB visited several outposts at Ghumdhum on Monday and ordered the BGB troops to intensify efforts against drug trafficking, smuggling, and illegal entry.

BGB sources confirmed that for easier pushback, the group was sent back to Myanmar in the afternoon through Baishfari Mango Orchard near the border pillar 37/2 S, under Baishfari BOP’s jurisdiction.

Multiple attempts to reach Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Saiful Islam Chowdhury, commander of the 34th BGB, for comments were unsuccessful.