A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: At least 37 Bangladeshi citizens were caught by the Village Defence Party volunteers and local residents at Kushiarkul at the Indo-Bangla border in Cachar’s Katigorah. The Tuesday midnight incident triggered much tension in the area as the Bangladeshis were allegedly trying to cross the border to enter into their own country.
Local sources said that they noticed that at least six auto rickshaws, overloaded with people comprising male-female, elderly and toddler, were moving towards the border. The unusual convoy ignited suspicion among the local residents. They stopped the vehicles and started quizzing the passengers who failed to show any valid documents or papers supporting their citizenship status. Meanwhile, VDP cadres arrived at the spot and the police were informed. Finally, the suspected persons admitted that they had entered India illegally a few years back and were working in Gujarat. After the Union Home Ministry instructed all the state governments to trace out illegal infiltrators and to push them back to their own countries following the Pahalgam carnage, the Bangladeshi nationals decided to cross the border with the help of local touts. They were originally from Jessore and Gopalganj districts of the neighbouring country.
Police later detained them and brought them to Silchar. A source in the district police hinted that investigation was going on to find out whether the statements they had made were correct. Further, on the basis of their confession, police would now launch a drive to nab the local touts who facilitate the cross border movement.
Also Read: Assam: Minister Kaushik Rai reviews flood preparedness in Cachar
Also Watch;