The push-in bids

BDR sources have said that the push-in attempts were thwarted with the help of the local people. But the distress that some humans suffered at the no-man's land was beyond description. The tension that is now running high along a long swathe of borderland, is something that can only unnecessarily sour the relations between the two countries.

The latest push-in bid is the most persistent that we have seen in recent years and has taken place only 40 days after the home secretaries of the two governments agreed at a meeting in Dhaka to adopt a series of measures to remove potential irritants in their border relations. There was even talk of introducing a hotline to address any brewing crisis without loss of time. Evidently, the development is not in sync with what was agreed upon in Dhaka. It is understood that if India thought some Bangladeshis were residing illegally on its soil, the matter would be resolved through well-laid out and established procedures. But everything seems to have been lost when we watch the boorish attempts to push people on to Bangladeshi soil. Obviously, it is far from good neighbourly conduct to draw together some humans at the border-belt and force them to cross over to the other side.

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Bangladesh and India are friendly countries committed to upholding good neighbourliness. The spirit has always been reflected in all high-level meetings between Dhaka and Delhi, but not unfortunately along the borders where so many untoward incidents have take place.

The BJP had, in the perception of analysts, used the issue of so-called illegal migrants to garner votes, but such a policy is hardly expected of the Congress-led coalition government.

The Indian government must not fail to see the inhumanity and impropriety associated with these push-in attempts made by its border security forces. These should stop in the best interest of neighbourly relations.