12 Bangladeshis stranded in Tripura, BGB declines to take them back: Official

Twelve alleged Bangladeshis, including women and children, are stranded in Tripura's Sepahijala district for four days, with the BSF trying to push them back and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) refusing to take them, suspecting they could be Indians, police said on Wednesday.

They have been stuck since Saturday last week in Miyapara village of Kamalasagar, about 30 km from here.

The village stands hemmed in between the international border and the barbed wire fence India has erected 150 yards away from it on its side to check smuggling and infiltration.

During the patrolling, the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel found a group of people who had allegedly entered India illegally, a senior police officer said.

During preliminary interrogation, they were claimed to have admitted they were from the neighbouring country and also showed their citizenship documents.

"They admitted that they are from Kuthi village under Kasba police station in Brahmanbaria district of the neighbouring country.

"The BGB refused to take the stranded people back, suspecting that they could be Indians," a senior police officer told PTI.

When contacted, a BSF official said, "A commandant-level meeting between the two forces on Tuesday was inconclusive. We will continuously pursue the BGB to take them back." "Some relatives of the stranded people met the BGB personnel and submitted many documents claiming that they are from Bangladesh," the police officer said.