A tense humanitarian situation along the Kushtia border has been resolved after the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) finally took back 12 individuals who had been left stranded at the No Man’s Land for three days following an alleged push-in attempt.

The breakthrough came after a crucial flag meeting held between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the BSF on Monday at around 11 am near international boundary pillar 148/3-S in the Pragpur border area.

Following the successful meeting, the 12 individuals were formally handed over to the BSF.

Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Kamal Rony, Commanding Officer of Kushtia 47 BGB, confirmed the resolution of the matter.

The high-stakes flag meeting was attended by a 6-to-8-member BGB delegation from the Kushtia 47 BGB battalion, led by Deputy Commander Nurul Huda.

The BSF was represented by a similarly sized team led by AC Sunil Kumar Yadav, Company Commander of the Raninagar BSF camp.

The crisis initially unfolded on last Friday at around 5:30 am, when attempts were allegedly made to push the group—consisting of women, men, and children—into Bangladesh territory.

Although a bilateral flag meeting was initially scheduled for later that same day, it could not take place due to alleged non-cooperation from the BSF.

A second flag meeting was subsequently convened on Saturday at around 9:30 am near pillar 150/3-S in the Bilgatuya border area.

However, those talks ended without a final resolution, leaving the 12 individuals effectively trapped in limbo at the zero line.

Among the stranded individuals, several identities were officially confirmed. They include Uzir Ali, 50, his wife Zainur Begum, 35, and their children Shihad, 17, Injamul, 8, and a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler, Samad.

Additionally, the group included three members of the Rafiqul Gazi family and four members of Afroza Khatun’s family. Notably, all of the stranded individuals claimed to be Bangladeshi citizens.

During their prolonged three-day exposure in the open border area, the group endured severe physical hardship.

Stranded at the zero line without basic facilities, they faced extreme heat, intense mosquito infestations, and a lack of proper food, causing several individuals to reportedly fall ill.

"The matter was resolved peacefully through a flag meeting between BGB and BSF, and the 12 individuals were subsequently taken into BSF custody as per the agreed decision," stated Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Kamal Rony.

The Commanding Officer further added that the BGB remains on high alert to ensure comprehensive border security and will continue to take all necessary steps regarding matters related to national interest.