8 Bangladesh nationals held in Bongaigaon; paid Rs 8,500 each to enter via Meghalaya

Bongaigaon, July 22: Eight Bangladesh nationals were detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at New Bongaigaon Railway Station in Assam for illegally entering the country, on Tuesday.

The individuals—identified as Babu Sheikh, Ashfaqul Haque, Alamin Ali, Mamun Sheikh, Mohammad Ali, Ruhul Amin, Musharraf Ali, and Asharul Haque—are all reportedly from Jamalpur district in Bangladesh.

According to the detainees, they had entered India through Meghalaya with the intention of travelling to Chennai for work.

“We are simple people. We were here to go to Chennai for purposes of work,” one of them told the press at the station.

They admitted to paying approximately Rs 8,500 each to cross the border with the help of touts.

“Who will get us here for free?” another detainee remarked, highlighting the role of organised networks facilitating illegal crossings.

A file image of the New Bongaigaon Railway Sttaion where the 8 Bangladesh nationals were detained by the police (AT Photo)

Police sources confirmed the detentions but refrained from providing further details.

“We have detained some Bangladesh nationals at the New Bongaigaon Railway Station today. However, we cannot divulge much right now. We will address the matter in a press briefing later,” a senior GRP official told The Assam Tribune.

The incident comes amid the government’s emphasis on its “push-back” policy for illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

On July 21, during a visit to Sipajhar, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reiterated that his administration had succeeded in pushing back 2,000 to 3,000 infiltrators.

“For the first time in Assam, we have managed to push back 2–3 thousand infiltrators across the border,” the Chief Minister had said.

However, the government’s approach has faced criticism from Opposition leaders and minority rights organisations, who have labelled the policy “inhumane” and in violation of human rights norms.

Further investigation into Tuesday’s detentions is expected, with officials likely to brief the press in the coming days.