Assam Police have launched a state-wide crackdown on suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, intensifying operations across key districts, including Guwahati, Morigaon, Golaghat, and Sivasagar, Sonitpur. The latest phase of this drive has already resulted in the detention of over 50 individuals suspected of residing in India without valid citizenship documents.
Police sources revealed that many detained individuals had obtained Aadhaar cards and Voter IDs despite not being part of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process — a mandatory requirement in Assam to establish citizenship credentials. The Assam government has previously clarified that any identity document acquired without participation in the NRC process will be treated as illegal.
“These drives are part of an ongoing mission to identify and deport foreigners living illegally in the state,” a senior police officer said. “Verification of documents and cross-checking with NRC data is underway.”
The operation comes amid rising concerns over demographic changes in certain regions of Assam, with authorities alarmed by reports of foreigners settling down illegally and gaining access to government welfare and resources.
Bangladeshi national nabbed in Sohra
Meanwhile, a dramatic police chase unfolded near the famed Seven Sisters Falls Viewpoint in Meghalaya’s Sohra (Cherrapunjee) area on Sunday. A Bangladeshi national was apprehended after the vehicle he was travelling in evaded a police checkpoint set up by Sohra Police Station.
According to officials, a mobile patrol team had erected a routine naka checkpoint around 4 PM when a silver Maruti A-Star (bearing Assam registration AS-01-AP-0928) sped past without stopping. Police immediately pursued the vehicle and intercepted it from the tourist spot.
Upon checking the identity of the occupants, one individual was identified as Robiul Islam (32), a resident of Tengra Khali, Paderhat, in Bangladesh’s Pirojpur district. Islam, reportedly working as an electrician in Bengaluru, confessed during interrogation that he was attempting to re-enter Bangladesh through informal channels — a route he is suspected to have used multiple times in the past.
Two other individuals accompanying him — Sujit Hajong (32) and Ravi Singh (38), both residents of Ichamati Bazaar in East Khasi Hills district — were arrested for allegedly facilitating Islam’s illegal cross-border movement.
All three are currently under interrogation. Authorities suspect a larger human trafficking and smuggling nexus operating in the region, aiding undocumented movement between Bangladesh and India. A formal case has been registered under The Foreigners Act and other relevant provisions, and further investigation is underway to unearth the full extent of the network.
Assam government reaffirms stance
The Assam government has repeatedly voiced concern over illegal infiltration from Bangladesh, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma calling it a long-standing threat to the state’s demographic balance and national security. The recent crackdown is part of the broader initiative to secure state borders and prevent misuse of Indian identification documents.
Police have assured that the operation will continue in the coming days, with more district-level verifications expected across urban and rural pockets.
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