Tension along Bangladesh border as ‘hundreds’ try to cross in after ‘push back’ by India side

3 min readKolkataJun 20, 2026 08:06 PM IST

“There was tension but we dealt with the situation adequately,” a senior BSF officer said. (File Photo)

The India-Bangladesh border in Malda district witnessed tension Saturday after hundreds of people tried to cross over from the Bangladesh side and were thwarted by Border Security Force personnel.

Sources said that the people tried to make their way in after the Indian forces had carried out a “push back” into Bangladesh of alleged infiltrators in the wee hours. Bangladesh has refused to accept people sent in without proper channels into its territory.

The incident took place on the Sukdevpur outpost in Baishnabnagar, which is located in an unfenced area of the border. BSF officers said that the situation was now under control.

According to sources, hundreds of people started gathering near the border on the Bangladesh side in the morning, armed with lathis, and tried to cross over into Indian territory. As BSF jawans posted at the border drove them away, crowds gathered on the Indian side too.

“There was tension but we dealt with the situation adequately,” a senior BSF officer said.

Since the BJP came to power, the Bengal government has announced its intention to intensify the identification of infiltrators and to push them into Bangladesh. The attempts have been objected to by Bangladesh, and resisted by the Border Guard Bangladesh.

A local villager, Chapala Mondol, said: “Hundreds of people from Bangladesh tried to enter our side. The BSF and villagers rushed to the border and thwarted them. The BSF needs to put up fencing here for our security.”

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Khagen Murmu, the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Maldaha Uttar, said the BJP government was doing everything to correct the situation, repeating the allegation that the Trinamool Congress government did not give land to the BSF for fencing the border.

“Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that national security is our priority. The state government has started identifying infiltrators and pushing them back. However some elements in Bangladesh are trying to prevent this. This is what happened at the Sukdevpur border outpost today… But we are determined,” Murmu said.

Raju Karmakar, the BJP MLA from Baishnabnagar, said: “Infiltrators trying to change the demographics of the country are being pushed back into Bangladesh.”

In his very first Cabinet meeting as Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari had announced that all the land the BSF needs for fencing the Indo-Bangla border would be handed over. As per government officials, more than 142 acres of land has already been given.

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The CM also announced a “delete, detect and deport” policy to find illegal infiltrators and push them back into Bangladesh, and setting up of detention centres for this. On June 7, Adhikari claimed that 4,800 “illegal infiltrators” had been deported to Bangladesh over the past one month.

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas.

Experience & Authority

Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata.

Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects.

Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010.

Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting.

Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University.

Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More

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