Guwahati: Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Thursday said that all Indian passport holders will be allowed to return from violence-hit Bangladesh through the designated entry points in Assam.
Speaking on the sidelines of a law and order review meeting in Tinsukia, Singh said that Assam Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) will work together to prevent non-Indians’ unauthorized entry into the country.
He said, “We will not allow anyone to enter Assam illegally. Many students from Assam and other parts of India are studying in Bangladesh. During last month’s disturbances, 78 students returned, of which 60 were from Assam and 18 were from different parts of India.”
Singh stated that a direction has been issued that all Indian passport holders in Bangladesh will be allowed to return.
Legal action will be taken as per law if anyone tries to enter illegally, he added.
The DGP further said, “We have been monitoring the situation regularly since the last three days. After the development there (Bangladesh), we held a video conference with all the SPs of Assam and instructed them accordingly.”
Singh added that the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of state government also held a discussion with the DCs and SPs of the four Assam districts along with the BSF in the presence of senior police officials.
BSF personnel and Assam Police are carrying out joint patrolling along the international border, he said.
Assam’s Karimganj, Cachar, Dhubri, and South Salmara-Mankachar districts share a 267.5 km border with Bangladesh.
There is an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sutarkandi in Karimganj. Notably, Northeast has a total of three ICPs and the other two are at Dawki in Meghalaya and Akhaura in Tripura.
The developments follow after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on August 5 and left the country amid massive student protests that originated against a controversial job quota system.
Over 500 people, including police personnel, were reportedly killed across Bangladesh in the violence centering the students’ movement.
