Amidst a high-level vigil along the India-Bangladesh border, infiltration from the violence-hit country into Tripura remained unabated as 16 more Bangladeshi nationals including three women were arrested in the state for illegal entry into India.
An official said that the 16 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel from Agartala railway station on Tuesday night before boarding a train.
The Agartala railway station, on the outskirts of the capital city, is around 6 km from the Bangladesh border.
The official said that the infiltrators told the interrogators that they fled from their trouble-torn country to protect their lives and in search of jobs.
Thirteen of the 16 Bangladeshis, aged between 20-40 years, are residents of Rajshahi division's Chapainawabganj district while the remaining three are residents of Gazipur district under Dhaka division.
Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions have no border with Tripura but in the recent past, many nationals from there have entered Tripura, a senior official said.
Tripura shares an 856 km border with Bangladesh’s Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.
Since trouble started in Bangladesh in June, infiltration into India (Tripura) increased to a large extent.
Over the last three months, around 250 Bangladeshi nationals and 32 Rohingyas were arrested by the GRP, Border Security Force (BSF), and Tripura Police from Agartala railway station and various other places in Tripura for illegally entering India.
A BSF spokesman said that the border guarding troops during the past few weeks foiled several infiltration bids in different bordering areas and also arrested some Indian touts and human traffickers.
He said that in view of ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, the BSF has stepped up its vigilance along the 856-km border with Tripura and maintained close coordination with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at various levels.
Saying that the BSF has introduced a multi-pronged strategy to prevent trans-border crime and illegal infiltration, the spokesman stated that surveillance has been stepped up and state of the art Hand Held Thermal Imagers and Drones have been inducted.
BSF’s Tripura frontiers Inspector General Patel Piyush Purusottam Das, a senior IPS officer, along with other senior officials are continuously visiting the bordering areas to closely monitor the situation.
Das said that he has directed all commanders, posted along the borders, to step up coordination with all law enforcement and sister agencies for sharing of intelligence inputs and carrying out joint operations, both on the border and hinterland, against illegal infiltrators and trans-border smugglers.
The BSF in coordination with the BGB is also conducting joint patrolling along the India-Bangladesh borders to prevent infiltration and numerous border crimes, the official said.
Terror, trade and talk cannot co-exist: PM Modi sends stern message to Pakistan
In a firm declaration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made it clear to the world that terror and diplomacy -- or terror and trade -- cannot co-exist.
Operation Sindoor: Pak begged for peace after India’s devastating strikes, says PM Modi
In the aftermath of India’s unrelenting Operation Sindoor, Pakistan was left reeling from the decisive action taken by the Indian Armed Forces. Pakistan was forced to seek escape route, and it found itself begging for peace after suffering heavy losses in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Nuclear blackmail will not come in the way of anti-terror action: PM Modi
Nuclear blackmail will not come in India's resolve to hit terror at its root in any part of the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, sending a strong message to the global community against the backdrop of ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Satellite evidence: India destroyed 15 terrorist camps, including LeT headquarter
India launched a decisive counter-strike against terrorist camps along the Line of Control in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, eliminating fifteen key sites linked to extremist groups,
Operation Sindoor is India's policy against terror: PM Modi
Highlighting the significance of the operation, PM Modi said: "Operation Sindoor has not ended; it will be a continuing and decisive action against state-sponsored terror attacks on Indian citizens.”
Bangladesh: Yunus government bans former PM Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party, its affiliates
The interim government of Bangladesh under Muhammad Yunus on Monday issued a gazette notification banning all activities of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party, Awami League and its affiliate organisations.
Not an era of terror just as it's not an era of war: PM Modi
In a special video address to the nation, PM Modi sent a strong warning to Pakistan, saying: “Terror and talk, terror and trade and water and blood cannot flow together. Talks with Pakistan will only be held on terror.”
Success of Operation Sindoor dedicated to Indian women: PM Modi
Calling the Pahalgam terror attack a personal tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday dedicated the bravery and courage of the armed forces involved in Operation Sindoor to every mother, sister and daughter of the nation.