Bangladeshis across the border oppose the deportation of infiltrators from Malda, Bengal

Hundreds of Bangladeshi citizens gather to protest the repatriation of infiltrators (boxed)

Malda (Bengal) – Tension arose in the Sukdebpur area on the India-Bangladesh border in Malda district on the early hours of June 20th when the pushback process of Bangladeshi infiltrators who had illegally entered India was going on. At this time, a crowd of hundreds of Bangladeshi citizens gathered across the border. They protested and raised slogans. This turned the entire area into a battlefield. To prevent the situation from getting out of control, senior officials of the Border Security Force immediately called for additional help and doubled the deployment of soldiers near the barbed wire.

The 1,200-metre open border has become a headache

In Sukdebpur, a 1,200-metre stretch of the border is not fenced with barbed wire. Local villagers say that this open and unfenced border has long been a major security concern for the country. This is not the first time that this route has been the scene of a dispute. Earlier, Bangladeshi nationals not only entered the India using this same border but also cut and stole the harvest belonging to the Indian farmers, leading to violent clashes between the two sides for weeks. After the latest incident, high alert has been issued in the entire border area.

Lack of fencing on Sukdebpur border is a direct threat to national security : BJP MP Khagen Murmu

On this incident, BJP MP Khagen Murmu said that this is a concerning situation. The lack of fencing on the Sukdebpur border is a direct threat to national security. We have repeatedly demanded fencing of this 1,200 metre strip to the Central and State governments. This audacity of the infiltrators will not be tolerated.

Common citizens feel unsafe in their own homes : BJP MLA Raju Karmakar

Local BJP MLA Raju Karmakar said that farmers and common citizens in our area are feeling unsafe in their own homes. Illegal infiltrators enter, create chaos, and scare our people. What has happened now is a direct challenge to law and order. We demand from the administration that security cover should be provided to the border villages, and a permanent solution should be found to this sensitive issue.