Heightened Alert on Tripura-Mizoram-Bangladesh Border Due to Militant Movement Reports
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Agartala/Aizawl, Jan 3 (NationPress) Security forces, including the Border Security Force (BSF), are in a state of heightened alert due to reports indicating the movement of militants from Bangladesh along the borders of Tripura and Mizoram, officials disclosed on Friday.
Tripura shares an 856 km border, while Mizoram has a 318 km lengthy frontier with Bangladesh.
Out of Tripura’s 856 km International Border, approximately 26.64 km remains unfenced, whereas the entire boundary of Mizoram is not fenced at all.
A senior police official stated that there have been reports of militants moving along the porous border between Tripura, Mizoram, and Bangladesh, prompting a state of high alert among security forces, including the BSF stationed in the hilly terrains.
“Following the reports of potential militant movements, Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) Krishnendu Chakraborty recently visited Unakoti and North Tripura districts, conducting a series of meetings with security personnel deployed in those areas,” the official mentioned to IANS.
Both the BSF and state police officials commented that the unrest in Bangladesh, which began in July, and the collapse of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, have led to increased vigilance along the India-Bangladesh border to avert any cross-border infiltration by militants, smugglers, and intruders.
Reports indicate that despite a significant number of militants surrendering to the Tripura government in September of last year, some extremists based in northeast India may still be hiding in Bangladesh.
On September 24, a total of 584 militants from the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) groups surrendered and handed over a substantial cache of arms and ammunition to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha at a surrender ceremony held at the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) seventh battalion headquarters in Sepahijala district.
The militants decided to surrender to the Tripura government following the peace agreement signed with the Centre and Tripura government in Delhi on September 4, witnessed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tripura Chief Minister, and other political leaders along with officials from the MHA and Tripura government.
A BSF spokesperson mentioned that troops along the borders are employing various devices and trained dogs to enhance their vigilance, while senior BSF officials frequently visit the border for close monitoring.
Meanwhile, former Tripura Chief Minister and current Lok Sabha member Biplab Kumar Deb recently appealed to Amit Shah to expedite the completion of the India-Bangladesh fencing in the remaining areas and to bolster vigilance along the frontier in light of the current situation in the neighboring country.
Deb, who is also a member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs, expressed in his letter to Shah that while proactive measures by the Central government have effectively curtailed infiltration, it seems necessary to strengthen the BSF presence for enhanced border security and to mitigate any adverse effects stemming from the situation in Bangladesh on Tripura.
He advised Amit Shah, “Considering the unstable law and order in Bangladesh, there is a likelihood of opportunistic elements exploiting the porous border.”
