Concern over encroachment by suspected Bangladeshis in Sonitpur char areas

From a Correspondent

Tezpur, Feb 16: At a time when the BJP-led Assam Government, supported by the Central Government, is giving top priority to dealing with the years-long vexed Bangladeshi problem through certain major initiatives like eviction drive in many suspected Bangladeshi tiol-domited areas across the State and expediting the  NRC upgradation process in the State,  the conscious circle in Sonitpur district has urged the government to take stern action against severe encroachment by suspected Bangladeshis in many char and revenue areas in the district.

Though protests against continuous infiltration of illegal Bangladeshis into the State by different organizations like AASU, AJYCP and Prabajan Birudhi Mancha have given few good results in some parts of the State, including Kaziranga tiol Park and Sipajhar (Darrang, Mayong (Morigaon), these have yielded no results in Sonitpur district as the politically motivated influx of Bangladeshis is still allegedly going on in various char and chapori areas under Barchala, Biswath and Tezpur LACs, posing a serious threat to the local populace. There are a number of chars and chaporis ,including Tin-Tikia, Rani Tapu, Gai Tapu, Majbali Char, Kochmora Chapori, Lawkhowa Chapori, Burha Chapori, Kalibari Tapu, Gudam ghat, Jahajghat Tapu, Dakhin Bali, Baghey, Tapu, Habu Char, Islam Tapu, Akel Char, bu Char, Singri Gupteswar Temple and its adjoining areas under the three LACs of Sonitpur district. In the aforementioned areas, till date many suspected Bangladeshis have settled resulting in major concern among the local people. According to the intelligence report, suspected Bangladeshi people are still sneaking into the district allegedly under the very nose of the authorities who have been trying to establish them as legal Indian citizens by producing fake documents availed from certain local brokers.

Despite various objections raised by different organizations, suspected Bangladeshis continue to encroach upon char areas in nexus with the officials of different revenue circles, including the Tezpur revenue circle. An official from the intelligence department revealed that these illegal immigrants carry out different unlawful acts in the district like poaching of rhino, fake currency peddling, burglary, theft and extortion. According to the source, some doubtful persons in Thelamara area backed by fundamentalist forces have over the years been involved in exchanging fake currency in the area. “Not only that, this force even settled many Bangladeshis in the southern part of Thelamara and Dhekiajuli area,  including Suti Pahar and Singri area till Orang tiol Park during the last 15 years of the Congress regime. From these areas, unlawful activities like rhino poaching and attack upon the local people are allegedly synchronized, posing serious threat to the very existence of the local indigenous people,” the source said, adding that despite repeated appeals to the agencies concerned to deal with this serious issue, the matter was yet to be considered as a serious issue.

A senior leader of Tezpur AASU, while expressing serious concern over the issue, stated that at a time when various organizations, including AASU, were seeking a solution to the Bangladeshi issue, the government wanted to settle Hindu Bangladeshis in the State. “Our demand is that for the sake of the security of the future of the indigenous local people of the State, thousands of both Hindu and Muslim Bangladeshis settled in different places in Sonitpur district should be evicted without any delay,” the AASU leader reiterated.