Assam has been placed on a high alert following a fresh wave of unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday saying that the state government is closely monitoring
developments across the border due to potential security and law-and-order concerns.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, Sarma said the situation in Bangladesh was a matter of serious concern for Assam, given the state’s geographical proximity and past experiences related to cross-border movement.
Emphasising the need for constant vigilance, the Chief Minister said the government was keeping a “sharp eye” on unfolding events in the neighbouring country.
“We have seen that in Bangladesh, Hindus are being subjected to atrocities and burnt alive. Those who are currently in power in Bangladesh have been talking about including northeast India in their country,” Sarma claimed, expressing alarm over statements and developments emerging from across the border.
The Chief Minister further asserted that migration from Bangladesh into Assam had taken place at various points in time and described the issue as a long-standing concern for the state.
“It is also well known that people from Bangladesh entered Assam at different times, and the state is ‘full of these people’,” he said, underlining what he termed the need for heightened alertness in the present circumstances.
“We have to be vigilant and must keep a sharp eye on the developments in that country,” Sarma reiterated, stressing that the situation required constant monitoring by the state administration and security agencies.
The Assam Chief Minister recalled that he had raised similar concerns last week as well, when he claimed that “Bangladeshi elements” had been repeatedly making statements suggesting that northeast India should be merged with Bangladesh.
Terming such remarks as provocative, Sarma said, “Bangladeshi elements have been repeatedly saying that northeast India should be merged with the neighbouring country, which is irresponsible and dangerous, and India will not remain silent on this.”
Highlighting India’s standing on the global stage, Sarma had earlier said such statements were untenable.
“India is a very big country, a nuclear nation and the fourth largest economy in the world. How can Bangladesh even think about it?” he had remarked.
Bangladesh has witnessed a fresh wave of unrest following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
Hadi was a prominent face of the anti-government protests that ultimately led to the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.
The developments have triggered concerns in India’s border states, particularly Assam, which shares a long and sensitive boundary with Bangladesh.
In view of the prevailing situation, officials said prohibitory orders have been imposed along the India-Bangladesh border in Assam’s Cachar district.
The restrictions are aimed at preventing illegal movement and averting any potential law-and-order threats in the border areas.
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