For over 200 people living in villages on the border between India and Bangladesh in Assam's Karimganj district life is hard as they belong to no country.

Neither India nor Bangladesh recognise the 36 families living in Maleghar, Pararchowk and Niyamura villages in a virtual no man's land as their own citizens, exposing them to a lot of harassment.

The villages fall within 150 metres of the Indo-Bangla border that is a disputed area.

''We have to take permission from the BSF and they allow us to enter and stay in India from six am to six pm,'' said Azizur Rehman, one of the villagers.

The BDR does not even allow them to enter its country leaving them in a strange stituation.

 
The villagers have been agitating for a fairly long time and have petitioned the Karimganj district deputy commissioner to end their predicament, but to no avail,'' he despaired.

BSF sources say they sympathise with their plight and offer cooperation to run their households.

"We keep the border gates open beyond six pm if any of the villagers was taken ill and allow them to go for treatment,'' a BSF official posted in the border said.