Three young men have been living in inhumane conditions for 14 days in the no-man's land along the Bhundurchar border beside the Jinjiram river in Roumari upazila of Kurigram, caught between India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The ordeal began in the early hours of June 14, when members of the BSF allegedly attempted to push the three youths into Bangladesh. BGB personnel refused to allow them to enter Bangladeshi territory, leaving them stranded without shelter, regular food, or access to basic necessities.

For the first few days, the youths remained completely exposed to the elements. Local residents, moved by their plight, later provided polythene sheets to build a makeshift shelter and have since supplied them with food and drinking water on humanitarian grounds.

However, communication remains severely restricted, with armed BGB personnel guarding one side and BSF members monitoring from the other, allowing locals only brief, distant conversations.

Roumari Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Abdur Razzak said local authorities have been regularly monitoring the situation.

"As the matter involves an international border, there is little we can do at the local level. The higher authorities of the BGB are closely monitoring the situation," he said.

"Local residents are providing food and water on humanitarian grounds. But during storms and heavy rain, their suffering becomes even worse. Whenever we approach them, they simply break down in tears," he added.

Lt Col Hasanur Rahman, commanding officer of the Jamalpur 35 BGB Battalion, told journalists that the BGB had repeatedly invited the BSF to hold a flag meeting to resolve the matter, but had received no response.

"Since the BSF attempted to push them into Bangladesh illegally, it must come forward to resolve the issue," he said.

He added that the identities of the three youths have not yet been officially verified.

The BGB remains on high alert to prevent illegal push-ins along the border, while local residents continue to cooperate with the force, he also said.