Guwahati, March 17 (IANS): The people of Jakhalabandha town in Nagaon district on Saturday rounded up 75 suspected Bangladeshi nationals for illegally entering the Indian territory. The group included a female, police said.
Jakhalabandha is located about 50 km from Nagaon district headquarters and adjacent to Kaziranga National Park, famous for and home to the one-horned rhino.
"Local people told us that there has been movement of suspected Bangladeshi nationals in the area for last few days. However, today (Saturday) the local people gheraod the group at Jakhalabandha railway station and informed us," said a police official from Nagaon district.
The group was coming from Dhubri on the Dhubri-Silghat passenger express which arrived at Jakhalabandha station Saturday morning.
"The group failed to submit any valid document to prove their Indian identities and later admitted that they were on their way to Kuthori near the Kaziranga National Park," said Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of Kaliabor sub Division S.R. Bardhan.
Sixty members of the group, including a female, failed to provide any document to prove their Indian citizenship. While these 60 have been detained at the Jakhalabandha police station, the remaining 15 were released. "We have handed over the 60 to the Border Branch of the Assam police for detailed investigation," an offical said.
Illegal infiltration from Bangladesh is one of the burning problems in Assam, with thousands of Bangladeshi nationals entering the state every month through the porous International Border for work and a better life.
There are about 272 km of Indo-Bangla International border in Dhubri and Karimganj sector and most of the portions of the border are still open.
Various students' organizations and pressure groups of the state have been demanding complete sealing of the border with electric fencing to stop infiltration.
