31 Rohingya stranded on Indo-Bangla border in Tripura

While the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) alleged the Rohingya Muslims tried to cross over from India, the Border Security Force (BSF) said Sunday that there was no sign of a breach on the Indian side, which officials said, meant the Rohingya could not have come from Tripura. The BSF, which believes the Rohingya may have comes from Bangladesh, has also offered the BGB a joint survey of the fencing on the Indian side to identify a possible breach.

BGB detained 31 Rohingya persons and informed BSF in January 18 at 8:30 PM. Next day, BSF contacted BGB and we were expecting that GTBG will contact us for a flag meeting But since they put those 31 BD nationals into our territory thinking that BSF will take care of these Rohingyas, BSF were expecting that they will ask us for a flag meeting. But they did not communicate, rather we communicated and yesterday 12 o’clock, an officer level meeting was conducted at zero line where second in-command of our battalion and second in-command of their battalion came right on the zero line. They had a discussion; BSF insisted them to come to carry out a survey of our entire area at BOP Rairmura, spread over an area of 3.5-4 km and see for themselves whether there is any breach of fence by which the Rohingyas entered between fencing and IBB. BSF wanted to convince them that they did not cross from this area. But they denied and asked us to take them into Indian territory. BSF said they have not crossed from India to Bangladesh. BSF asked for a battalion commander level meeting. The battalion commander level meeting was held today 11 AM at the same place where these Rohingyas are there.

The BGB battalion commander of the same view that Rohingyas came from Indian side since there is no tell-tale sign of breach of fence on Indian side. We said they might have come from other side but not from Indian side.
After that, Rohingyas are still there, right on the Zero Line.

BGB is doing nothing. On humanitarian grounds, we provided food, water, other basic needs from our own resources last night to Rohinigyas. BSF have instructed our company commander to conduct a preliminary questioning so that we can know their age, name, gender composition and profile.

They are sitting in the open for last two days.
Every detail is being passed to our Delhi force headquarters. They might have communicated with the MHA. Until now, BSF have got instructions not to claim and take them back into Indian territory.

BSF are trying to convince BGB. They are not our nationals. Under which law, will we take them? Had they been Indian nationals, we could have taken them. Since they are saying they are Rohingyas, they are third country nationals.