Around 600 flood affected victims from Coochbehar region of West Bengal in India have taken shelter in the Aditmari Upazila of Bangladesh’s border district of Lalmonirhat, reports India Today.
In the last five days, at least hundreds of Indians have taken shelter in different houses of Durgapur union of Lalmonirhat Sadar under Moghalhat union and Aditmari upazila.
Habibur Rahman, chairman of Moghalhat Union, confirmed that around 600 people came to Mughalhat and Durgapur due to the flood.
He said that local people informed that the members of the Moghulhat BGB Company barred the entry of Indians who came in search of shelter.
Later, after requesting the commander of Lalmonirhat-15 BGB Battalion, they allowed to entry. Lt Colonel Golam Morshed, commander of Lalmonirhat-15 BGB Battalion, said that about 600 Indian women, children and men came to Bangladesh.
Considering the humanitarian face to save them from the heavy floods of Dharla river, they were allowed to enter Bangladesh.
"If boats were not allowed to enter in Bangladesh, several people would have drowned in the water of Dharala River. We are grateful to the people here and will remember the BGB battalion," said Iqul Huq a citizen of India.
Some people took shelter in the street. Among them, Arjina Khatun (35) is seven-and-a-half months pregnant. Khatun lives in Indian-held Dharla Char. The woman also brought along her poultry animals like birds and hens and ducks.
The mother of one of her neighbors Meher Bani (23), mother of a child also came. Meher's husband, a sewing factory worker in Delhi. They said they did not have any problems in Bangladesh.
However, these Indian people praised Bangladeshi BGB and local residents as they cooperated with the shelter seekers.