Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In light of the recent incidents of many Bangladeshis being apprehended in the state, the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU) said that the complete sealing of the India-Bangladesh border in Assam and the Northeast should be accorded top-most priority by the central and state governments of the NE.
AASU general secretary Samiran Phukon, in an exclusive interview with The Sentinel, said, "We've been repeatedly saying that Bangladeshis are continuing to enter the state and the NE illegally through the porous border. The recent detention of a number of Bangladeshis in Guwahati and other places in the state proves that their illegal entry has been going on unabated. It's a good thing that the state government has apprehended so many Bangladeshis in Assam and pushed them back, but such action is not the only solution to the problem. Only a complete sealing of the India-Bangladesh border in Assam and other NE states will provide the final solution. Along with complete fencing, the BSF will have to step up efforts to put a halt to the entry of such illegal Bangladeshis from across the border. The state government will also have to strengthen the second line of defence along the border.
Phukon further said, "The total length of the India-Bangladesh border, including that in Assam, is around 4,096 km. The entire border has not been totally sealed, as of now. The Assam portion of the border is around 263 km. The international border in the Sribhumi district in Barak Valley is yet to be sealed completely. There is a riverine stretch of the border in the Dhubri sector, which is being monitored through the use of technology. However, we have doubts about the efficacy of the system. So, the technological prowess of the system should be reviewed by the Government of India."
He went on to say that a meeting of the AASU central committee will be held on July 6. "In the meeting, we will discuss the implementation of Clause VI of the Assam Accord, along with the sealing of the India-Bangladesh border. This issue should be accorded the top-most priority by the central and state governments," Phukon added.
The total length of the India-Bangladesh border is 4,096 km, with 2,216.7 km in West Bengal, 856 km in Tripura, 443 km in Meghalaya, 318 in Mizoram and 263 km in Assam. As of 2025, fencing has been completed in a stretch of 3232.21 km.
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