Bangladesh opposition protests Indian border push‑ins

Tensions along the India-Bangladesh border have escalated into a diplomatic dispute and domestic political flashpoint, with Bangladesh accusing Indian authorities of attempting to forcibly send people across the frontier without due process. The situation has prompted planned protests by a coalition of Bangladeshi opposition parties and complicated high-level border security talks.

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, leading an 11-party opposition alliance, has announced a series of protests beginning with rallies in border districts on Friday, June 12, followed by a larger gathering and procession in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday, June 15. The alliance accuses India of "push-ins," alleging that Indian security forces are trying to force people into Bangladesh, and claims that Bangladeshi citizens have been killed in firing by India's Border Security Force (BSF). A leader from the alliance claimed that over 50 such incidents occurred in three months, involving attempts to move nearly 2,500 people.

The National Citizen Party (NCP), part of the coalition, has called for residents near the frontier to form a "human shield" to prevent what it described as the entry of terrorists,...