5 Bangladesh nationals detained in Mankachar; total 65 infiltrators held since unrest

Dhubri, Sept. 16: The Mankachar police detained five Bangladesh nationals along the Assam-Meghalaya border on Sunday evening.

The individuals were intercepted while travelling in an auto-rickshaw at around 9 p.m., following a tip-off that foreign nationals were attempting to cross into Assam from Meghalaya.

The detained group consists of three women and two men, identified as Sabina Aftan, Santa Begum, Pinky Akhtara, Akash Hussain, and Shafiqul Mondal.

The driver of the vehicle, Akhirul Islam from Pesarkandi village in Mankachar, was also detained, and the auto-rickshaw used for transportation has been seized.

According to police sources, the group had illegally crossed into Indian territory through the Dalu region of Meghalaya. This latest incident brings the total number of Bangladeshi nationals detained while attempting to enter Assam since the political unrest in Bangladesh to 65.

The political turmoil in Bangladesh, sparked by the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has led to an increase in attempts by Bangladesh nationals to cross the border into India.

Just last week, another five individuals were detained while attempting to enter Assam on September 8.

Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that around 50 Bangladesh nationals had been detected trying to cross into Assam as of August 28 and were subsequently pushed back by the police.

Assam's Director General of Police (DGP), GP Singh, highlighted that security forces have maintained heightened vigilance along the international border to prevent any illegal entry.

Since the political unrest in the neighbouring country, the Border Security Force (BSF) has also intensified its monitoring along the 1,885 km-long Indo-Bangladesh border in the Northeast, aiming to curb the surge in illegal crossings amid the ongoing political instability in Bangladesh.