11 more Bangladeshi nationals held in Tripura

Agartala, May 9 (IANS) The Tripura Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF), jointly with state police, on Friday apprehended 11 more Bangladeshi nationals, including four women and four children, officials said.

A police official said that the 11 Bangladeshi nationals, including four women and four children, came to Sabroom in southern Tripura from Gujarat by train, and before they returned back to their country were staying at a house of an Indian national at the border village of Srinagar. Local people captured them before they crossed over to Bangladesh and handed them over to the BSF and Tripura Police.

BSF and police officials are now interrogating the Bangladeshi nationals. The official said that as part of the legal formalities, they would be produced in a Tripura court on Saturday. Of the detainees, adult persons are aged 21 to 40 years old, while the children are two to twelve years old. The intruders are residents of Kalia Upazila in Narail District under Khulna Division of Bangladesh.

A BSF spokesman said that the border guarding troops have enhanced vigil and intensified their domination along the International Border since the violence in Bangladesh began in June-July last year, especially after the fall of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, 2024.

“We have further strengthened our vigilance and security after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and in view of the ongoing conflicts between India and Pakistan,” the spokesman said, adding that senior BSF officials frequently visit the bordering areas and monitor the border situation around the clock.

Since August last year, BSF, Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), Tripura Police jointly or independently apprehended around 900 Bangladeshi nationals. Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas are often detained in the railway stations and border villages as they, after illegally crossing the India-Bangladesh border, try to go to other parts of India reportedly in search of jobs and other purposes.

Tripura, which has an 856 km border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country. Except for some stretches, most parts of the India-Bangladesh border with Tripura are already fenced.

--IANS

sc/uk