Agartala: On the night of June 29, authorities apprehended eleven Bangladeshi nationals—six men and five women—during a late-night operation at Agartala Railway Station. The Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested them as they attempted to enter India illegally with plans to travel to major cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Odisha. A case has been filed against them under the Foreigners Act, and they will appear in court on June 30.
The arrested individuals have been identified as MD Sujan Rana (20), Azizul Shaik (30), MD Limon (19), Nargis Akhtar (34), MD Yousuf Ali (35), MD Sahidul Islam (26), Nipa Mandal (27), Akhe Begam (35), Omi Akhtar (35), Sajib Ali (19), and Asma Biswas (36). “The Agartala GRP has registered a case, and the accused will be presented in court tomorrow. We cannot rule out the possibility of human trafficking attempts. An investigation is underway,” stated Officer-In-Charge Tapas Das. The Bangladeshi nationals were unable to produce valid travel documents during interrogation.
The women intended to travel to Kolkata first before continuing to other destinations, as revealed by the preliminary investigation. The railway police began their search based on intelligence that some Bangladeshi nationals had crossed the international border into Tripura and were headed to Agartala Railway Station. Authorities confiscated several cell phones, Indian and Bangladeshi currency, and some Bangladeshi documents from the suspects.
In less than two months, Tripura has witnessed the arrest of 72 Bangladeshi nationals, predominantly women, who entered India through unofficial channels seeking employment. The recent apprehensions have heightened vigilance over the persistent issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh to India.
On June 27, two Bangladeshi women, Feroza Khatun (22) and Anamika Aktar alias Akhi (20), were arrested at the same station for similar offenses. They were attempting to board a train to Karnataka. “We acted on a tip-off and arrested the two Bangladeshi women who had illegally entered India and were attempting to travel to Pune and Karnataka,” said Tapas Das, the Government Railway Police Station in-charge.
Additionally, on June 26, four Bangladeshi women and one Indian national were caught at Agartala Railway Station before boarding trains to Ahmedabad and Pune. The Bangladeshi women—Meem Sultana (23), Rubaiya Sultana alias Asha (20), Ritu Begam (28), and Jyoti Khatun (20)—and Indian national MD Kashem Miah (24) from Tripura’s Sepahijala were arrested. The Indian national is believed to have facilitated their illegal entry. They were due to appear in court following a complaint lodged by the GRP.
Previously, on March 23, seven Bangladeshi individuals, including two women and a ten-month-old child, were arrested at Agartala Station for illegal entry. According to Tapas Das, Officer-in-Charge of the Government Railway Police at Badharghat, two of the detainees had disguised themselves as women. They confessed to being Bangladeshi citizens during questioning and were arrested before they could board a train to Chennai. Authorities noted that these offenders were attempting to use the Northeastern state as a transit point to reach major cities such as Chennai and Kolkata.
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