Nine persons stranded in no-man's land along Assam-Bangladesh border, tension grips Mankachar

Guwahati, June 14: Tension prevailed along the India-Bangladesh border in Assam’s South Salmara-Mankachar district after nine individuals were found stranded in the no-man’s land between the two countries, prompting heightened vigilance by border security agencies.

According to reports, the group allegedly attempted to enter India from Bangladesh but was stopped by the Border Security Force (BSF). The individuals remain stranded in the border strip as authorities work to verify their identities and nationality.

The incident has drawn attention on both sides of the border. While Indian authorities have not officially commented on the circumstances leading to the standoff, sections of Bangladeshi social media have claimed that the individuals were “pushed back” from India into Bangladesh. The claims, however, remain unverified.

Sources said the nine persons are currently staying in the no-man’s land pending completion of nationality verification procedures.

Efforts are reportedly underway to facilitate talks between the BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to resolve the situation through established border coordination mechanisms.

Officials are expected to determine the citizenship status of the individuals before handing them over to the authorities of the country to which they legally belong.

The development has sparked concern among residents in the border region, with locals closely monitoring the situation amid fears of a prolonged standoff.

The incident comes days after a similar situation was reported at Nandirchar along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya’s South West Garo Hills district. In that case, Bangladeshi authorities and local residents allegedly refused to accept a Bangladeshi national who had been pushed back by the BSF after being apprehended for illegally entering India.

The back-to-back incidents highlight the growing challenges surrounding the identification, verification and repatriation of undocumented border crossers, an issue that increasingly requires close coordination between Indian and Bangladeshi border authorities.

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