Shillong, Aug 12: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday moved the centre seeking additional forces to secure its border with Bangladesh in the light of recent attempts at cross border infiltration by Bangladeshis fleeing the unrest in their country.
A ban on entry and exit from the neighbouring country remains in force.
The Meghalaya chief minister, who was accompanied by deputy chief minister in-charge of Home, Prestone Tynsong, called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to review the overall situation along the state’s international border.
“We have urged the Government of India through the Union Home Minister that, if necessary, more manpower can be provided along the border areas so that the security can be reinforced,” said Conrad K Sangma after meeting with Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday to review the overall situation along the border areas.
Sangma termed the meeting positive, informing that Shah had assured to examine the situation and take necessary steps, if needed.
The chief minister also lauded the role of the BSF for continuing to keep a strict vigil on the international border and added that they were being backed up by an alert state police force.
“We informed him (Shah) that a night curfew is in force all along the international border to further strengthen the overall security scenario in the border zones,” said the CM and added, “We reiterated to the Union Home Minister that we should not allow at this point in time any individual to cross the border as the matter is very sensitive and in detail discussions were done on that matter.”
According to Sangma, the home minister assured that the Government of India will not allow any individual to cross into the country and all measures are being taken to ensure a secure border.
This high level meeting between the chief minister and the union home minister comes just two days of a border incident in which the BSF foiled an illegal entry and arrested seven Bangladeshi nationals together with two Indian facilitators at Pynursla in East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, on Saturday.
Fears have been growing over the threat of large-scale influx after an incident in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, last week, when close to a thousand Bangladeshi nationals made a failed attempt to enter the country before they were pushed back by the BSF.
On Monday morning, Assam police pushed back four Bangladeshi nationals in the wee hours of near the Indo-Bangla border. They were trying to enter India at around 1.30 AM on Monday through the Karimganj sector of the India-Bangladesh border, but were detected by alert Assam police and pushed back.
Attacks on minorities have increased in Bangladesh since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister and fleeing the country. Bangladesh interim government’s head Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus on Saturday called for an end to attacks on the minority communities in the country, and asked for protection to all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families.
