GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday called for heightened vigilance among states bordering Bangladesh, stressing the need for close cooperation with the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent the infiltration of Rohingya Muslims.
Speaking at a press conference, Sarma stated, “Assam and Tripura are working very closely and detecting people. If the West Bengal government starts detecting people, this will be a well-orchestrated and systematic effort.”
He warned of potential issues if proactive measures are not taken across all states sharing the border with Bangladesh. “If we push them back, they may re-enter through the Bengal border. I think Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and Bengal governments must support the BSF aggressively. Otherwise, things may deteriorate,” he cautioned.
Assam's cooperation with the BSF has already yielded results, with 138 infiltrators being detected and repelled over the past two months.
Sarma highlighted a shift in the infiltration trend, pointing out, “Contrary to the expectation that Hindus will enter India because of instability in Bangladesh, we are finding only Rohingya Muslims coming to our country (illegally). So, the perception about Hindu Bengalis is wrong. That is what the data says.”
He further emphasised the ongoing nature of the issue: “The Rohingya Muslims are still trying to come. Every state government must remain vigilant and work very closely with the BSF.”
Sarma noted that Assam police, in tandem with the BSF, intercepts foreigners entering illegally almost every day. He remarked, “Due to the porous boundary, some people are still coming into our country despite the best efforts by the BSF. The state governments have to play a very proactive role. Tripura is also identifying a few foreigners. Assam is also identifying, but despite our best efforts, people (infiltrators) must be going to various Indian states.”
The Chief Minister also revealed that some infiltrators return to Bangladesh to bring “fresh people” across the border, emphasising the importance of Assam’s ongoing coordination with the BSF. “Sometimes people are identified through a joint operation, sometimes by BSF, and sometimes by state police,” he added.
Responding to a query, Sarma clarified his government’s stance on the religion of infiltrators: “What we want is that if somebody enters our country illegally, he or she must be detected and pushed back.”