Illegal border crossings: 3 Rohingya women, one B’deshi youth detained
BALURGHAT: Two separate incidents of illegal border crossing have sparked widespread concern in South Dinajpur district. Three young Rohingya women and one Bangladeshi youth have been detained by local police in connection with unauthorised entry into India.
In the first case, three Rohingya women were arrested near the Hili border while attempting to return to Bangladesh. According to preliminary police interrogation, the trio had originally fled Myanmar’s Rakhine state around 12 years ago and entered Bangladesh with their families. About eight years ago, they reportedly crossed into India illegally through a porous stretch of the border. Aged between 20 and 22, the women have spent time in various parts of northern India, including Jammu and Kashmir, raising national security concerns.
Local residents at Hili grew suspicious due to the women’s attire and language and alerted the police. The women failed to produce any Indian identification during questioning and eventually confessed to their Rohingya identity. They were taken into custody and presented before a court, after which they were placed in police remand for further interrogation.
DSP (Sadar), Bikram Prasad, stated: “The women possessed no valid Indian documents. We are investigating who may have assisted them in crossing the border and their activities while in India.” Sources say the matter has been reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs and a central team may soon visit Hili for further investigation.
In a separate incident, a 22-year-old Bangladeshi youth named Milon Chandra Barman was apprehended by Kumarganj police from his uncle’s house in Mahmudpur village near Dhangarhat. Milon, a tractor driver by profession, allegedly crossed the border around one-and-a-half months ago.
He had been staying at his relative’s residence and working informally in the area. Police sources reveal he had plans to earn extra money before returning to Bangladesh.
Upon receiving a tip-off, police arrested him around 8:30 pm on Tuesday. Milon hails from Bhonatara area under Dinajpur Sadar in Bangladesh. He was produced before the Balurghat court and police have sought five days of custody for questioning.
IC of Kumarganj police station, Ramprasad Chakladar, commented: “We have launched an investigation to determine the reasons behind his illegal entry and whether he had any larger intentions.”
The porous Indo-Bangladesh border in South Dinajpur spans 252 km, with approximately 30 km still unfenced. These gaps, particularly around Hili and Kumarganj, have increasingly become hotspots for illegal crossings, raising serious security concerns.
