Flood-affected Indians take shelter in Bangladesh

[bluesky]

12:00 AM, July 27, 2016 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:20 AM, July 27, 2016
Flood-affected Indians take shelter in Bangladesh
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Some flood-hit Indian citizens have taken shelter at the bordering Chawratari village in Lalmonirhat upazila. They crossed into Bangladesh on Sunday night after the rising water of several rivers inundated their villages. The photo was taken yesterday. Photo: S Dilip Roy
Star Report
Around 4,000 flood-affected people from India have taken shelter in villages along the Lalmonirhat border in the last three days as flood situation worsened in the northern districts of the Indian state of West Bengal.

Incessant rain and rising water levels in the Dharla, Kaljani, Teesta and Torsa rivers forced about 10,000 people of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts of West Bengal to leave their houses, reports our Kolkata correspondent.


Marooned by flood water, many took refuge in the houses of villagers of neighbouring Bangladesh, which prompted the West Bengal government to express their gratitude to the Bangladesh government.

According to Rabindra Nath Ghosh, minister for North Bengal development under the government of West Bengal, around 4,000 flood victim Indians have taken shelter in Mogolhat union in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

"If these people did not take shelter in Bangladesh, they would have been washed away [by flood water]," Rabindra told The Daily Star over the phone yesterday.

He said two villages Jari Dharla and Daribas of Dinhata subdivision in Cooch Behar stood like islands in the Namsai river as water of the river increased sharply.

"It takes only 10 minutes to go to Bangladesh's Mogolhat from these two villages," said Rabindra, explaining why almost all the villagers of the two Indian villages took shelter in Mogolhat when flood water entered their houses.


Our Lalmonirhat correspondent adds, Ansar Ali, 44, a flood affected of India's Jari Dharla village under Dinhata Police Station, said he along with three members of his family took shelter in a Bangladesh's border village as their home was flooded.

Ansar opined that around 1,500-1,600 people from four Indian villages --- Jari Dharla, Daribas, Nagortari and Badarkuti under Dinhata Police Station --- took refuge in some villages under Mogolhat and Durgapur unions in Lalmonirhat on Sunday night.

But some were sent back to India by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Monday noon, he said, adding that, “We will return to our houses after flood water recedes from our homes."

“We are living in a house of Bangladeshi people in Chawratari village in Mogolhat union. We are also getting food from the house,” said Ansar Ali's wife Dulali Begum.

Another flood victim from India's Nagotari village, Alamgir Hossain, 48, said, “We have talked to our panchayat [member] and pradhan [chairman] over mobile phone, and they assured us that they would send dry food to us, but we didn't get any food as of today [yesterday] noon.”

Abu Sufian, 48, a local in Chawratari in Mogolhat union, said thousands of flood affected people from four Indian villages have taken shelter in Chawratari, Karnapur, Badaitari and Kumar Para villages under Mogolhat union and Dighaltari, Choupathi and Durgapur villages under Durgapur union of Aditmari upazila.

“We helped the Indian flood affected people to go to safe places by boats on Sunday night,” he added.

Lt Col Ahmed Bazlur Rahman Hayati, commanding officer of 15 BGB Battalion in Lalmonirhat, said BGB men already sent back many Indian flood-affected people to their houses in the national security interest.

He added that many flood victims were given shelter by the Bangladeshis along the border on humanitarian grounds.

Rezaul Alam Sarker, acting deputy commissioner of Lalmonirhat, said he was unaware of the issue.

 

[bluesky]

I wonder why our BGB of Bangladesh do not just shoot and kill these bragging Indians whenever they try to cross the border? They must follow the books to the point. It was their duty to kill the Indians and they have miserably failed in the test. A few days ago, an Indian elephant also entered our holy land. But, instead of killing it, as the Indians would do, our people are taking care of it and giving it daily food. BGB and others should copy the way of Indian BSF troops.

 

[Sliver]

I wonder why our BGB of Bangladesh do not just shoot and kill these bragging Indians whenever they try to cross the border? They must follow the books to the point. It was their duty to kill the Indians and they have miserably failed in the test. A few days ago, an Indian elephant also entered our holy land. But, instead of killing it, as the Indians would do, our people are taking care of it and giving it daily food. BGB and others should copy the way of Indian BSF troops.

Its an animal that does not know any boundaries. Why would that make your land unholy?

ON topic: its just good neighbors helping each other out in times of difficulty.

 

[Indika]

I wonder why our BGB of Bangladesh do not just shoot and kill these bragging Indians whenever they try to cross the border? They must follow the books to the point. It was their duty to kill the Indians and they have miserably failed in the test. A few days ago, an Indian elephant also entered our holy land. But, instead of killing it, as the Indians would do, our people are taking care of it and giving it daily food. BGB and others should copy the way of Indian BSF troops.

BSF only shoots intruders not ppl who are seeking refuge. In times of calamity when ppl are in distress borders makes no difference. Dont simply drag common ppl into your jingoist hatred.

 

[my2cents]

I wonder why our BGB of Bangladesh do not just shoot and kill these bragging Indians whenever they try to cross the border? They must follow the books to the point. It was their duty to kill the Indians and they have miserably failed in the test. A few days ago, an Indian elephant also entered our holy land. But, instead of killing it, as the Indians would do, our people are taking care of it and giving it daily food. BGB and others should copy the way of Indian BSF troops.

I understand your angst with Indian members on PDF but you are taking this to extremes.

 

[bluesky]

BSF only shoots intruders not ppl who are seeking refuge. In times of calamity when ppl are in distress borders makes no difference. Dont simply drag common ppl into your jingoist hatred.

A rule is a rule. The way Indians have trespassed our border is not something India should take pride of. Consider another case by a former Member of Parliament went missing and found on the other side of border. He is being put in jail and is tried in the Court.

Current Indian refugees should have been killed by bullets on seeing their entry to BD in the open daylight. India is certainly seizing this opportunity to mix spies with them. It is very dangerous for the security of Bangladesh.

I understand your angst with Indian members on PDF but you are taking this to extremes.

No, I do not care what PDF Indian warriors talk. I am talking about the issue of BD security. A few Indian lives weighs less than the security of the country. Indians cannot be trusted.

 

[Sliver]

I wonder why our BGB of Bangladesh do not just shoot and kill these bragging Indians whenever they try to cross the border? They must follow the books to the point. It was their duty to kill the Indians and they have miserably failed in the test. A few days ago, an Indian elephant also entered our holy land. But, instead of killing it, as the Indians would do, our people are taking care of it and giving it daily food. BGB and others should copy the way of Indian BSF troops.

No, I do not care what PDF Indian warriors talk. I am talking about the issue of BD security. A few Indian lives weighs less than the security of the country. Indians cannot be trusted.

what was the fault of the elephant?

 

[Nilgiri]

I wonder why our BGB of Bangladesh do not just shoot and kill these bragging Indians whenever they try to cross the border? They must follow the books to the point. It was their duty to kill the Indians and they have miserably failed in the test. A few days ago, an Indian elephant also entered our holy land. But, instead of killing it, as the Indians would do, our people are taking care of it and giving it daily food. BGB and others should copy the way of Indian BSF troops.

We should have just shot dead all the millions of refugees in 1971 from your land as well right?

What kind of a disgusting person are you?

Criminal border elements (smugglers, drug traders, mafia etc) are not the same as common villagefolk who shout across the border even today to their friends and family on the other side.

If there is a flood on your side, BSF is not going to shoot the villagers seeking refuge on our side either. BSF knows where along the fence they would bunch up and they will be admitted temporarily since BSF knows they are locals who have homes and work to go back to after the flood recedes. With aadhar in place, it will be even harder for stragglers to stay behind anyway.

@Joe Shearer get a load of this guys views sitting in Japan.

 

[Gandh brandi]

no. bsf only kills our country's biggest drug dealers like "felani" -_-

 

[Nilgiri]

no. bsf only kills our country's biggest drug dealers like "felani" -_-

Was she escaping a known, established flood in the area in a coordinated recognised way or did her dad try to sneak her through all the while knowing the risk of doing so? How much value does a father put on his girls life asking her to climb a barbed wire fence like that during the night?

Regrettable and tragic that BSF shot her without checking better (but then again they are in a dangerous environment themselves esp seeing what BDR did in 2001)....but 99% of those killed on the border by BSF are indeed those involved in contraband trade and are often armed and dangerous themselves.

 

[baajey]

@Nilgiri : Why are you wasting on these scums ? Let them be.
@Topic: Thank you BD for helping our people (by the look of it, they hardly seem indian bengalis though. of course i could be wrong) in the time of need. Bangladesh, unlike many other countries, helped india in crucial points of history (however short it was. for eg: flushing out ULFA, which ultimately resulted in their demise).

 

[bluesky]

@Nilgiri, how long you guys will be sending lame excuses instead of an apology from your govt.? The 12 yr. old Felani was killed because the coward and dumb BSF troops could not hear her crying voice. So, similarly BGB troops should not show mercy to the Indian trespassers.

Thank you BD for helping our people (by the look of it, they hardly seem indian bengalis though. of course i could be wrong) in the time of need. Bangladesh, unlike many other countries, helped india in crucial points of history (however short it was. for eg: flushing out ULFA, which ultimately resulted in their demise).

When we flushed out ULFA, you are sending terrorists in disguise to BD. We do not trust Indians.

 

[Nilgiri]

@Nilgiri, how long you guys will be sending lame excuses instead of an apology from your govt.? The 12 yr. old Felani was killed because the coward and dumb BSF troops could not hear her crying voice. So, similarly BGB troops should not show mercy to the Indian trespassers.

We will never EVER send an apology since the culpability lies solely with a dastardly person who decided his girl's life was worth little more than an animals by sending her over a barbed wire fence in a known criminal hot spot at NIGHT time.

Your govt can go ahead and charge him (father) with criminal negligence if it cares so much about it.

We also don't care what you think BGB should do, you are a little wanker sitting behind a keyboard in japan wishing death on innocent people just because they happen to be Indian in some perverted revenge crusade of yours.

No wonder Gulshan types have proliferated in your country....that too mostly among the "elite" facebook types like you. Nothing better to do than think hateful things till it consumes you.

It is good that BGB and Bangladesh govt dont give a flying fvck what a little angry miserable sicko dreams and wants....because even if they somehow think it...... their hand is stayed by the knowledge of what they will receive in the end....and unlike you they will have to face it....they cant sit safely in Japan thats for sure.

 

[baajey]

When we flushed out ULFA, you are sending terrorists in disguise to BD. We do not trust Indians.

okay then, issue an order to flush out the "terrorists". what are you waiting for , Mr.All-Powerful. ?

 

[Providence]

Faith in humanity restored.