Bangladeshi Hindus still waiting to cross into India

Thousands of Hindus from Bangladesh still hoping to cross into India are being turned back by border guards.

Transcript

00:00Bangladesh has been in a state of turmoil after weeks of violent protests.

00:05Thousands of Bangladeshis have gathered at the Indian border, hoping to get refuge in India.

00:11But security forces on both sides keep them from crossing over.

00:16There are guards there on the other side, and on this side.

00:20The refugees were trying to cross a stream on the other side, but the guards didn't allow them to cross the border.

00:25My relatives wanted to come over, but they couldn't.

00:29Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said that his government will protect Bangladeshi Hindus,

00:36but the border situation is volatile.

00:40This local leader is working as a mediator between Indian and Bangladeshi border forces

00:46and the people gathered along the border.

00:49Since the 9th of July, thousands of people have gathered at the border.

00:59We've asked them to stay on the other side of it for now.

01:06But we're Bengalis on both sides.

01:11We don't want any unrest. All we want to do is live together.

01:21Many people here on the Indian side told DW that they will welcome the refugees from Bangladesh

01:27as they have gone through similar experiences, but they're also wary of possible conflicts in the future.