Over 2,800 Bangladeshi Nationals Detained in Tripura Over Three Years: CM Saha

Synopsis

In a report to the Assembly, Tripura CM Manik Saha disclosed that 2,815 Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in the last three years, with 1,746 deported. The GRP has been active in combating human trafficking, with numerous arrests made in connection to illegal entries from Bangladesh.

Key Takeaways

2,815 Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Tripura.
1,746 deported to Bangladesh.
474 detainees in Tripura jails.
44 human traffickers arrested by GRP.
BSF intensifies border operations to prevent illegal entry.

Agartala, Jan 13 (NationPress) A total of 2,815 Bangladeshi nationals have been apprehended in Tripura over the last three years due to their illegal entry into India, with 1,746 of them already deported back to their homeland, as reported by Tripura's Chief Minister Manik Saha during the Assembly session on Monday.

Responding to queries from three MLAs – Jitendra Chowdhury and Nayan Sarkar of CPI-M, along with Ranjit Debbarma from the Tipra Motha Party – the Chief Minister revealed that out of the 2,815 detained individuals until October of last year, 474 are currently incarcerated in different jails across Tripura, eight are in detention centers, two are housed in shelter homes, while 585 have been granted bail by the courts.

Authorities indicated that these Bangladeshi nationals are entering India with assistance from Indian touts and human traffickers.

In the last five months, the Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested 44 human traffickers, all of whom are Indians, for facilitating the unlawful entry of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas into India.

In response to a separate inquiry from Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, the Chief Minister stated that in 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken action against 25 human traffickers.

Over the past six months, approximately 625 Bangladeshi nationals and more than 63 Rohingyas have been detained by the GRP, Border Security Force (BSF), and Tripura Police at Agartala railway station and other locations in Tripura after their illegal entry into India.

The spokesperson mentioned that the BSF is maintaining a heightened level of vigilance at the international border to thwart infiltration and cross-border crimes.

According to Saha, following the unrest in Bangladesh last year, the BSF has amplified its operations along the 856-km India-Bangladesh border in Tripura to curb infiltration, exfiltration, and trans-border crimes, including the smuggling of illegal goods.

Tripura, bordered by Bangladesh on three sides, has areas that remain unfenced due to ongoing local disputes regarding land and demarcation. Last year, the BSF arrested 55 Rohingyas, 620 Bangladeshi nationals, and 260 Indian nationals, including human traffickers, during various operations.