South Dinajpur: Unfenced border stretch raises infiltration concerns
BALURGHAT: A seven-kilometre unfenced stretch along the 252-kilometre Indo-Bangladesh border in South Dinajpur’s Kumarganj has emerged as a hotspot for drug trafficking and illegal infiltration, alarming law enforcement agencies.
Locals have questioned why the Centre is taking so much time to fence 7 km of the border.
On Monday, police apprehended an Indian national in Kumarganj for allegedly harbouring an infiltrator from Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi, identified as Robiul Islam from Dinajpur in Bangladesh has also been arrested. He reportedly crossed the border a year ago. He had been residing at the home of Khairul Mandal, a local from Jakirpur, who also employed him as a labourer in another state. Authorities recovered a fake Aadhaar card from Robiul during the arrest. Investigations are underway to trace the origin of the forged document and identify the network behind the infiltration.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Jayanta Kumar Majumdar stated: “An Indian national has been arrested for sheltering a Bangladeshi with a fake Aadhaar card. Both were presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Monday. While the police requested a 10-day remand, the court granted five days for further interrogation. Investigations have commenced to unravel the incident.”
Meanwhile, recent investigations by the CID into a drug smuggling and the alleged infiltration of Rohingyas led to the summoning of three local residents to Kolkata for questioning.
Jakir Hossain Mondal, Najmul Mondal, and Zahidul Sarkar of Kumarganj’s Samajhia area have been summoned to Bhavani Bhavan, Kolkata, on December 26. CID sources revealed that the unfenced border stretch is a vital route for drug smuggling and illegal infiltration.
Investigators are questioning the accused to expose the larger smuggling network. The three individuals from South Dinajpur who have been summoned by the CID are accused of acting as linkmen to facilitate the entry of Rohingya infiltrators into India, taking advantage of the unrest that has been ongoing in Bangladesh over the past few months.
The incident has triggered political criticism, with South Dinajpur district TMC vice-president Subhas Chaki blaming the central government for failing to secure the border.
“The inability to install barbed-wire fencing along the seven-kilometre stretch reflects the central government’s negligence. The BSF must explain how infiltrations continue,” he said. Chaki also defended the CID’s action, stating that the summons is based on concrete evidence.
South Dinajpur Superintendent of Police Chinmay Mittal confirmed the CID’s ongoing investigation and discussions with higher authorities regarding barbed-wire fencing. Enhanced surveillance to curb further infiltration is on though the proliferation of fake documents remains a significant challenge for authorities.
