13 Bangladeshi nationals held in Guwahati during police crackdown

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Amid the ongoing tussle between the BSF and the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) over the push-back of illegal Bangladeshis, the Assam Police today apprehended 13 Bangladeshis in Guwahati. This proves that the illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals has been continuing unabated in the state.

The Assam Police nabbed 13 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, from a guest house at Aryanagar. After they were apprehended, they underwent intensive interrogation regarding their modus operandi in entering Assam. The circle of touts and middlemen engaged in helping these illegal Bangladeshis to procure documents and shelter, as well as transportation to other places, is on the radar of the Assam Police.

The existence of the 13 Bangladeshis in Guwahati was revealed during the interrogation of the Bangladeshi girl apprehended at LGBI Airport in Guwahati on June 16 for possessing a fake Aadhaar card. She was subsequently pushed back to Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, security forces are continuing the pushback of Bangladeshis, but the situation has turned tense on the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and West Bengal, with the BSF and BGB in a standoff over the exercise. In the past few months, authorities have pushed back hundreds of newly arrived Bangladeshis to their home country.

On June 12, the Railway Police arrested 9 Bangladeshis at Guwahati Railway Station when they were travelling from Cachar to Guwahati. They revealed that they crossed into Assam via the Cachar border, and they got assistance from local touts. Similarly, four Bangladeshis were held in the Dispur area on April 11. They also revealed that touts promised to provide them jobs here and helped them. A cab driver was also arrested for helping provide shelter to these illegal Bangladeshis.

Police sources said that, in the backdrop of the arrests and despite the strong stance of the state government, the entry of illegal Bangladeshis into the state has continued, and touts are active in helping them. Once they cross over into Assam, they are provided with fake identification documents and assistance to travel to other places in the country.

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