State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed has said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent 13 letters to New Delhi in an effort to prevent alleged push-ins from India.
“Our foreign ministry has already sent 13 letters to Delhi. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is in a very difficult position but remains firm. The BGB is resisting attempts to push people into Bangladesh from India,” she told reporters.
She said Bangladesh was continuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue and expected India to follow established mechanisms for repatriating undocumented citizens.
“If any Bangladeshi nationals are staying illegally in India, they should be returned through proper diplomatic channels using the established mechanisms. Similarly, if any Indian nationals are staying illegally in Bangladesh, we will also repatriate them through the same legal procedures,” she said.
Shama Obaed made the remarks while speaking to journalists after receiving a reception accorded by the Saltha Press Club in her constituency in Faridpur’s Saltha upazila at around 7:00pm yesterday.
She, however, did not say when the letters were sent or the period over which they were issued.
Earlier, speaking at the programme, the state minister said misinformation and disinformation were increasingly being spread through mainstream and social media platforms and urged journalists to verify information before publication.