Push-ins by BSF: ‘Help find my missing mother’

An Indian man earlier this month appealed to authorities in Assam to help find his elderly mother, who has remained missing since she was allegedly pushed into Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF).

Abdul Subhan, 33, a mason by profession, sent a letter on July 1 to the superintendent of police in Hojai district, Assam, seeking urgent steps to locate his ailing mother, Mustt Misma Khatun, 72.

In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Star, Subhan wrote, "On May 24, 2025, around 5:00pm, Hojai police officials took my mother from our native house for interrogation in connection with a Foreigner Tribunal case (FT Case No/Jo/13)."

"After she was taken into custody, we came to know through social media that my mother had been pushed into Bangladesh. Later, we also heard she had returned to India from Bangladesh, but since then, we have received no further information," reads the letter.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Subhan said, "We are Indian nationals. The names of my grandfather, father, and mother are all listed in past voter lists. We have all the necessary documents to prove our citizenship."

Asked for possible reasons why his mother could be taken, he said that his family had an ongoing land dispute in Lankajan Darjisit of Nandapur Chariali, Hojai.

"Our rivals filed a case in 2011 with the local police station claiming we were Bangladeshi nationals. My mother was arrested in 2013 and jailed, but later the Supreme Court ruled in our favour and confirmed our Indian nationality. My mother was released afterwards."

According to Subhan, his mother was recently summoned by the superintendent of police to provide testimony and was then pushed into Bangladesh along with 65 others.

"After hearing the news, we went to the local BSF camp and submitted all documents proving our citizenship. BSF then held a meeting with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and brought back some individuals. But I have not been able to trace my mother since.

"I just want my mother back home… nothing else."

Meanwhile, BGB declined to comment on the specific incident.

However, BGB Director General Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui acknowledged that push-ins or pushbacks by BSF were happening regularly, including in some cases involving Indian nationals and Rohingyas.

"We've repeatedly asked the BSF for proper, legal handovers. But pushbacks are continuing. We have protested these incidents strongly," he told reporters after an event in Chattogram yesterday.

The BGB chief's remarks come amid mounting reports of Indian authorities pushing individuals, including Rohingyas and alleged undocumented migrants, into Bangladeshi territory, bypassing standard repatriation protocols.

According to government data, Indian authorities have forcibly pushed back over 1,900 people across the border into Bangladesh since May 7. Among them, over 200 were Rohingya refugees.

Maj Gen Siddiqui further said that international and national media have published reports highlighting these illegal actions.

Asked about BGB's response, he said, "We asked for a systematic repatriation process. If a Bangladeshi has illegally entered India, we're willing to repatriate them through coordination meetings with the BSF. In some cases, BSF follows this process and hands them over officially. But in many instances, they don't — and pushbacks continue."

He noted that the BGB has formally raised the issue with the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has also communicated concerns to India via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian High Commission.

On a separate note, the BGB chief mentioned a manpower shortage in the force.

"We currently have around 57,000 personnel to cover a border stretching 4,427 km, much of it through difficult terrain. We need more manpower. The process to increase it is ongoing."

He said a new battalion was recently established in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar, and more are being planned in other locations.

"We're also expanding border outposts [BOPs], and the current government has promised to recruit around 5,000 new personnel. We hope to complete their recruitment and training soon."

The DG said that just a day before, BGB held a meeting with the Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to discuss these issues.

"It was a detailed discussion -- not just about BGB, but also about addressing manpower shortages across other law enforcement agencies. Increasing manpower is a time-consuming and costly process, but it is in progress."