A number of citizens from Tripura have been held captive in no man’s land between within the India- Bangladesh international border for the past 38 days.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has not allowed them to cross the international border and enter the Indian after the nationwide lockdown was declared on March 24.
“We are stranded here, guarded by heavy arms. We neither have enough money nor sufficient food and we are not allowed to return to our homes as well,” said one Rokeya Khatun- a resident of South Paharpur under Jatrapura police station in Tripura.
“About 260 Indian villages with a total of 70,000 residents which lie in the ‘no man’s land’ between the two countries,” a government official informed.
“However, the people who have been denied entry are those who went to Bangladesh market for trade and business prior the lockdown,” the official added.
“After the lockdown was declared, the BSF was directed to increase the security and not allow anyone to enter India,” the official added.
Local ration dealers and Red Cross volunteers have been supplying food and other essentials to these stranded Indians.