Bangladeshi Nationals Apprehended: In a significant development highlighting ongoing border security concerns, four Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended in Meghalaya’s South West Garo Hills district for illegally entering India without valid documentation. The incident took place on Tuesday night, as confirmed by officials on Wednesday.
Personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF) detected suspicious movements along the international border near the zero line, prompting swift action. The four individuals were intercepted and detained by BSF jawans during a routine patrol in the sensitive border zone. After a preliminary investigation, the individuals were found to be Bangladeshi nationals who had crossed the border without proper travel papers.
The detained persons have been identified as Md Alam (45) from Jagdal village in Ranisankail upazila; Md Mister (30) from Belpukur village in Baliadangi upazila; and Md Hamidul (30) and Md Shamim (23), both hailing from Ziabari village in the Baliadangi region of Thakurgaon district in Bangladesh. Their identities were reported by the Bangladesh-based news portal, Prothom Alo English.
Following their detention, the four were handed over to the local police. A senior officer of the district police confirmed that legal action has been initiated against them under the relevant sections of the Foreigners Act for entering the country without valid documents.
This incident has raised renewed concerns over the porous nature of the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya. The state shares a 444-kilometre-long international boundary with Bangladesh, of which over 40 kilometres—primarily in East and West Jaintia Hills districts—remain unfenced. This unfenced stretch has been flagged by security officials as a vulnerability point for illegal crossings.
Inspector General of BSF, O.P. Upadhyay, had earlier stressed the need for enhanced vigilance in these regions. In response to this incident, the BSF has heightened security measures and instructed its troops to maintain a strict vigil along the border, particularly in the unfenced areas, to curb unauthorised entry and cross-border smuggling activities.
The arrest of the four Bangladeshi nationals serves as a stark reminder of the continuing challenges faced by security agencies in safeguarding India’s international borders.
