India’s Border Security Force (BSF) handed over five Bangladeshis to BGB in a flag-meeting held at a Feni border outpost on Monday, a day ahead of high-level talks between the two border forces.

BGB later handed over the returned Bangladeshis to Feni Model Police Station. They went to India illegally in search of jobs, and were jailed on charges of illegal entry.

This year, BSF has sparked anger in Bangladesh and in international media circles by secretively pushing a large number of people, including Indian Muslims, through the border. The handover of five Bangladeshis is likely an expression of goodwill ahead of Tuesday's BSF-BGB DG-level meeting, where the issue would come up.

Four of the returnees are in their late thirties, and were put in prison for three months in India’s Manumukh area. The other returnee is aged 55 years, and was arrested in India’s Udaipur city.

The police are verifying the identities and contacting the families to ensure they return home safely.

BSF-BGB meeting

BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chaudhary is leading a delegation of high-ranking Indian security officials in a visit to Dhaka. The delegation landed at the Dhaka airport on Monday afternoon, and are expected to meet Bangladesh government officials on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Daljit Singh would meet Home Adviser Lt Col (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. The nine-member BSF delegation would also join the meeting with BGB Director General Major Gen Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui at the BGB headquarters.

Border push-ins of people and border killings by BSF are expected to figure high in the discussion. This year, India has pushed in a large number of people, including legal Bangladeshi migrants in India, illegal immigrants, Indian Muslims, Myanmar nationals and Rohingya refugees.

According to home ministry data, the number of pushed in people was about 2,200 between May and mid-August.