Agartala: Over 3,705 foreign nationals, including 3,463 Bangladeshis, have been arrested in Tripura since 2022 for illegally entering India, officials said on Sunday.
A senior Home Department official stated that 965 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in 2022, followed by 1,014 in 2023; 947 in 2024; and 537 in 2025.
Most of the foreign nationals have already been deported to their respective countries after completion of diplomatic and standard legal procedures, the official told IANS, refusing to be quoted.
Currently, 220 arrested foreign nationals remain lodged in various jails across Tripura.
According to the official, of the total 3,706 foreign nationals apprehended, 227 are Rohingya, while the rest belong to countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, Guinea, France, and Pakistan.
During the recent budget session of the Tripura Assembly, Chief Minister Manik Saha had said that the government is working with utmost seriousness to prevent infiltration from across the border. He noted that following the regime change in Dhaka, the state government constituted Special Task Forces (STFs) in all eight districts to tackle infiltration-related issues, in line with directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“The STFs are not only working against infiltration but are also maintaining strict vigilance over potential terrorist activities, drug smuggling, fundamentalist groups, and international crime,” he had said.
CM Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, pointed out that barbed wire fencing along certain stretches of the international border remains incomplete due to various challenges. “The state will not compromise on infiltration from across the border,” he asserted, adding that the government is also taking measures to curb the use of fake documents. Tripura, which shares an 856-km border with Bangladesh and is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, remains highly vulnerable and sensitive to issues related to cross-border migration, illegal trade, smuggling, and various trans-border crimes.
Except for around 21 km stretches, most of the border has been fenced to prevent smuggling, trans-border crimes, and illegal cross-border movement by infiltrators and other inimical elements.
A senior Border Security Force (BSF) official said that vigilance and domination along the International Border have been significantly intensified since internal violence erupted in Bangladesh during June-July 2024, particularly after the fall of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Tripura High Court has recently directed the state government to submit a detailed report within three months outlining steps taken to prevent infiltration. A division bench headed by Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by three individuals, including senior leader and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) MLA Ranjit Debbarma.
The petitioners alleged that despite MHA guidelines to curb infiltration, the state government has yet to take sufficiently effective measures to address the issue.
Responding to the High Court’s directive, Debbarma said that infiltration must be stopped immediately to ensure internal security and protect the interests of Tripura’s indigenous population.
The Tipra Motha Party MLA further stated that while other states are actively conducting anti-infiltration operations to identify and deport illegal immigrants as per MHA norms, Tripura has yet to implement adequate measures to effectively curb the problem.
Debbarma, a senior tribal leader, in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleged that many illegal immigrants had managed to obtain various Indian identity and residency documents with the assistance of a section of dishonest officials. These documents reportedly include Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards, ration cards, Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs), health cards and other important government-issued papers.
“The facial features, physical appearance, language, food habits and other cultural traits of Bangladeshi nationals are often similar to those of a large section of Tripura’s permanent residents, making it extremely difficult to identify illegal immigrants,” Debbarma said in his letter dated May 30.
Referring to media reports, the legislator claimed that around 1.48 lakh illegal voters are residing in Tripura.
He further stated that he had written several letters to Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Chief Minister Manik Saha and other senior officials, drawing attention to what he described as the serious situation arising from illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. However, he alleged that no effective measures had been taken so far to address the issue.
(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)
(IANS)
