July 31, 2025
GUWAHATI – In a renewed crackdown on cross-border infiltration, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday confirmed that seven Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended and “pushed back” across the international border by security forces in the early hours from Sribhumi, a border village in South Salmara-Mankachar district.
The operation, conducted jointly by the Assam Police and Border Security Force (BSF), is part of a broader effort to prevent unauthorized entry from Bangladesh and curb what the state government terms as “demographic threats” posed by illegal immigration.
Taking to social media, Chief Minister Sarma reiterated his administration’s uncompromising stance on the issue.
“Do not try to infiltrate, you will be CAUGHT and PUSHED BACK,” he warned, emphasizing that Assam would remain a homeland only for Indian citizens. “Illegal foreigners trying to alter the state’s demography will not be tolerated,” he added.
Just days earlier, 20 more alleged infiltrators were similarly identified and returned across the border. With this latest operation, the number of persons pushed back in recent months has reportedly crossed 377.
The Chief Minister has repeatedly pointed to illegal immigration as a serious socio-political issue, especially in lower Assam districts sharing porous borders with Bangladesh.
Sribhumi, where the latest interception occurred, is part of a region that has long grappled with challenges of cross-border migration, resource pressure, and identity politics.
The 1,885-kilometre Indo-Bangladesh border, which spans across five northeastern states including Assam, remains a zone of high vigilance.
Since the eruption of political unrest in Bangladesh last year, the BSF has significantly increased border patrolling and technological surveillance.
Assam Police, too, remain on high alert in the vulnerable districts, deploying additional personnel and intelligence mechanisms to curb illegal movements.
Security officials have confirmed that all vigilance measures are being strictly enforced and that no foreign national will be allowed to enter the state without valid documentation.