Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated that Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is on alert along the frontier and that the government firmly opposes any illegal push-in or push-back activities. He made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon during an emergency press briefing at the Secretariat in response to questions about reports of Bangladeshis being detained near the border after the formation of a new BJP government in West Bengal, India.

The minister explained that if any Bangladeshi citizens are found in India, their identification must be verified through proper channels. Only if India’s central government officially sends a verified list to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will the repatriation process proceed legally. He confirmed that no such pending cases currently exist. Ahmed also addressed issues related to Jangal Salimpur, saying the government will not evict long-term residents from state land unless necessary for public projects, but will eliminate any terrorist hideouts there.

On the Pallabi child murder case, the minister said most witness testimonies have been completed and the government is assisting the court to ensure a fair and timely trial.