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'Please listen to me…': BSF jawan's passionate appeal to Bangladeshis seeking to enter India
A BSF jawan explained to large number of Bangladeshis that they cannot be allowed to enter until solutions are found through discussions with Bangladesh.
“Please listen to me, nothing will come out of shouting”, said a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan as he pleaded with hundreds of anxious Bangladeshis camping along the border in West Bengal's Cooch Behar awaiting their entry into India.
BSF remains on high alert and has stepped up vigilance across the international border. On Sunday, eleven Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended while trying to infiltrate through West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya borders.
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"We all know the problems you are facing. The whole world knows, but there is a need for discussion. We cannot solve issues like this, we cannot let you cross the border like this, can we?", the jawan can be seen speaking in an Indian Express video.
“There is a need for discussion. Once it happens, we will see how we can protect you. You can see, that senior officers are here discussing those things. Is it possible if you insist on crossing the border, tell me?”, asks the jawan to which the crowd chants a “no”.
The jawan asked the hundreds of people to return as instructed by officers in Bangladesh during a discussion with their Indian counterparts on dealing with the emerging situation along the border.
Assam Director General of Police G P Singh told news agency PTI that the Centre has issued a directive that no person be allowed to enter illegally from the neighbouring country. However, the officer said that Indian passport holders, mostly students and traders, will be allowed to enter if their documents are found valid after due verification.
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PTI also reported that many villages along the international border in neighbouring Meghalaya maintain vigil all night as the border fence could not be constructed due to land demarcation issues and the presence of habitation within 150 yards of the international border pillar or zero line.
India's border security agencies have reported a large number of Bangladeshis trying to enter India for safety as their country struggles to restore order after weeks of violent turmoil that led to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster.
