Caught between two countries: Woman stranded at India-Bangladesh border for four days
Four days have passed, yet a woman remains stranded at the India-Bangladesh border, caught between two nations unwilling to claim her. Her ordeal raises troubling questions about identity, citizenship, border politics and the human cost of statelessness.
A woman was sitting on a small mat covered with straw in the open. With tight security surrounding her, neither the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) nor the Border Security Force (BSF) is ready to take responsibility for her. The woman is unsure of her nationality as well. She has been stuck in limbo for the last four days.
The incident happened in Dewanganj upazila under Jamalpur district. Sitting at the zero point of the India-Bangladesh border since Tuesday morning, the woman’s situation has sparked much discussion in the locality. Photos and videos have been shared on social media platforms, attracting the attention of local media. However, nothing has been resolved after four days.
The BGB claims that the BSF tried to push the woman into Bangladesh, but local people and the BGB stopped her. Since then, she has been stuck at the zero point. India refuses to recognise her as an Indian citizen, and Bangladesh does not want to take responsibility either.
According to a BBC Bangla report, it is unknown who the woman is. She told BBC Bangla reporters at the border that her name is Fuji Begum and her father’s name is Hanif. She is believed to be around 30 years old. However, she is unsure where she lives. She has mentioned that she lives in Pirojpur, Jhalokathi and Barisal, all within Bangladesh.
"There were contradictions in her statements. We have talked to her multiple times, but we could not determine her exact address. Due to strict security on both sides, she has nowhere to go and has been left outside," local journalist GM Fatiul Hafiz Babu told BBC Bangla.
The BGB has not been able to determine who the woman is. "She has not given us a specific or full address. She has given us some information, but it is very vague, and we cannot determine her nationality. It has been very hard to have a coherent conversation with her," said Lieutenant Colonel Hasanur Rahman, commander of Jamalpur 35 BGB.
Local people tried to give the woman food and water during the first few days. However, this stopped on Friday. "At first, we were able to get close and give her some food, but the BSF objected to this," residents said.
"Initially, we were able to get close to her and take photos and videos, but on Friday, we were not allowed to do so. Residents have not been able to give her any food since," said local journalist Farhad Reza. The woman has been placed in an increasingly vulnerable position as she has been stuck between the two countries for four days.
The BGB says it is in constant contact with the BSF. "We claim she was pushed into Bangladesh from Indian territory. We have proof of this. However, the BSF refuses to believe this and claims she is a Bangladeshi citizen. Both sides are very firm in their stances," said the BGB commander.
"We are in contact with them at various levels. However, we have not made any decisions about moving her. We have not confirmed whether there will be a flag meeting between the two countries," he added in his interview with BBC Bangla.
This is not the first time this has happened. In June this year, four people, including two children, were rescued after being stuck for almost 96 hours at the Roumari border in Kurigram. They were also accused of being pushed into Bangladesh from India. Previously, there have been controversies surrounding people being pushed into Bangladesh through the Kamalpur border in Jamalpur, involving Shasthi Chandra Barman, and the Jhaodanga border in the same district, involving a young man.
Since the political unrest in Bangladesh in August 2024, relations with India have been tense. Issues regarding people illegally crossing the border, determining their nationality and accusations of them being pushed across have created tension between the two countries. Bangladesh has accused Indian border guards of trying to push people across the border by claiming they are Bangladeshi citizens. The BSF has always denied these claims.
This issue was also recently raised in the Bangladesh National Parliament. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told the House that government records show that between January 1, 2025, and February 16, 2026, 2,482 people were sent to Bangladesh from India. However, since the new government came to power, the number has dropped to 37. This is due to the BGB taking a harder line at the border.
Unfortunately, there is currently no resolution to the situation the woman is in. It is unclear how her nationality will be determined and where she will be sent. While both border forces remain firm in their stances, the sight of a woman stuck at the zero point for four days has raised concerns. As she remains stranded between the two countries, the woman has no clear identity, no place to go and not even guaranteed access to basic essentials.
