Satgachi (WB): In a dramatic turn of events, the 213 stranded Bangladeshis at Satgachi on Indo-Bangla border entered Bangladesh late on February 4 night following a softening of attitude by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

Deputy inspector general (DIG) Border Security Force (BSF) (Cooch Behar) D L Chaudhary, who is camping here in view of the six-day old impasse, said that late on February 4 night the Bangladeshis, including a large number of women and children shifted to Bangladesh on their own.

He also said that BDR, which had been refusing to allow the stranded Bangladeshis to enter their country so far, also gave indications that they wish to communicate with the BSF.

The Bangladeshis, a large number of them snake charmers from the country's minority Hindu community, had been living on the no-man's land between Indo-Bangladesh border since January 31, when an attempt by the BDR to push them into Indian territory was blocked by BSF personnel.

The BSF official further said that the Bangladeshis are now camping at a place, which is well within the Bangladeshi territory.

However, the Indian Red Cross and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of Mathabanga sub-division of Cooch Behar district continued to provide food and medicines to the Bangladeshis.

Chaudhary said the BDR had given indications to the BSF, saying that they want to communicate with them.

"We know we have to die some day, so we have re-entered Bangladesh as we want to die in our homeland", Deen Islam, the head of the stranded Bangladeshis, shouted from the Bangladesh side of the border to Indian reporters assembled on this side of the border.

"We would like to thank the Indian people for giving us food and medicines at the time of need," he said.

Islam said they are members of 12,000 strong snake charmer community of Bangladesh. He also showed the reporters doctors' prescriptions to prove that they belong to Purabari village under Saban police station near Dhaka.

He also said that they voted for the Dhaka Member of Parliament (MP) during the last Parliamentary polls.

Senior BSF officials including Chaudhury are camping at the spot, waiting for the expected meeting with the BDR personnel.

The BSF and BDR had at least three sector-level meetings earlier since January 31, which however, had failed to break the deadlock.

PTI