Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed concern about the sharp rise in illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Assam and other states in the northeast. Sarma ascribed the increase to political unrest and economic instability in Bangladesh, especially after Sheikh Hasina was ousted from office in August 2024, while speaking to reporters in Guwahati on New Year’s Day.
He stressed that all those detained at the Indo-Bangladesh border over the past five months were from Bangladesh, which has a predominantly Muslim population. He claimed that no Hindu immigrants had been discovered during this time.
Since a large percentage of Bangladesh’s workforce was employed in the textile industry, the Chief Minister blamed the influx on the collapse of that sector. In pursuit of employment, he said, workers who have been displaced by the economic crisis are crossing the border into India.
‘Labourers from Majority Community Coming To India’
“Once there was unrest in Bangladesh, the economy collapsed. The majority community has been more affected than the minority community,” Sarma explained. “In the textile industry, most of the laborers were from the majority community, and after the industry’s virtual collapse, they started coming to India.”
Sarma also alleged that Indian textile factory owners are exacerbating the issue by incentivizing the illegal movement of workers with offers of better wages.
“Many textile factory owners in India are giving good amounts of money to import cheap labor illegally. This has made the situation worse,” he said.
According to Sarma, Assam Police detect 20 to 30 infiltrators daily at the border, and similar numbers are being reported in Tripura. In total, over 1,000 infiltrators were intercepted and pushed back to Bangladesh in 2024.
“The Assam government is not arresting them because if we do, they will end up in Indian jails and might secure bail. Instead, we’ve created a system to push them back instantly,” Sarma explained.
No Hindu Infiltrators Detected
Sarma noted that Hindu Bangladeshis, who have historically sought refuge in India due to persecution, are no longer migrating. “Whoever wanted to come to India must have come 30-40 years ago. These people have an affinity for their homeland and choose to stay despite tremendous atrocities. We should also not encourage them to come,” he said.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to create a secure environment for minorities in Bangladesh. “The Prime Minister is working overtime to ensure safety in Bangladesh, and the Hindu community there is acting very maturely,” he added.
Sarma said he discussed the issue with the Union Home Ministry, as well as with leaders from other northeastern states and West Bengal. The matter was also raised at the North East Council plenary meeting held in Tripura in December 2024.
“This is a very serious and alarming issue for us. The scale of infiltration we are witnessing now is unprecedented,” Sarma said.
The Assam government is seeking greater support from the central government to tackle the problem. Sarma stressed the need for stricter border enforcement and efforts to address the root causes of migration from Bangladesh.
“Infiltration from Bangladesh has increased massively, and we are determined to address it. The central government is equally serious about this issue,” he concluded.
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