239 Bangladeshis and 18 Rohingya people arrested in Tripura this year: Govt Railway Police

When asked about the infiltration by foreign nationals, the officer explained that they enter through vulnerable points along the India-Bangladesh border illegally, although the police and the GRP remain vigilant in monitoring the situation. In September, over 70 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested by Border Security Forces troops while attempting to cross into Indian territory.

A 16-year-old Bangladeshi girl was found dead with a bullet wound near the Laitapura border outpost at Kailashahar in Unakoti district on September 3. Her body was later handed over to the Border Guards Bangladesh and Bangladesh police after a postmortem.

Infiltrations are reported despite heightened vigilance along the international border, following assurances from the Central Government that the nation’s borders are secure and that illegal immigration will not be tolerated, particularly in light of the recent upheaval in Bangladesh.

Patel Piyush Purushottam Das, Inspector-General, BSF, Tripura Frontier, recently visited the riverine border areas with gaps in fencing to assess security measures implemented by field commanders. He emphasised the use of non-lethal weapons to prevent trans-border smuggling.

Tripura played a crucial role in the nine-month-long Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan, which concluded after the Mukti Bahini, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, declared independence on March 26, 1971. At that time Tripura, with a population of 1.5 million, sheltered 1.6 million East Pakistani refugees, exceeding its own population.

The Pakistani military surrendered to the allied forces of Bangladesh and India on December 16, 1971.