NIT Silchar student in soup: Bangladesh national ‘sent back’ after endorsing anti-India post

Silchar, August 27: A final-year foreign student at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar, has found herself at the centre of controversy after endorsing a contentious anti-India post on social media.

The student, a Bangladeshi national pursuing her engineering degree at NIT Silchar since 2021, drew the ire of law enforcement authorities after she “liked” a post by a former student of the institute, who is also from Bangladesh.

The Assam police informed The Assam Tribune that the student was “sent back” to Bangladesh following the incident.

Cachar Superintendent of Police (SP) Numal Mahatta confirmed, “Following the due process, the student was sent back to Bangladesh via the Churaibari route at around 11 am on Monday.”

However, according to institute authorities, the student had applied for “leave for some days” prior to this incident, suggesting her return to Bangladesh might also be linked to this pre-approved leave.

In response to queries about the student's potential return to NIT Silchar, Prof. DK Baidya, Director of the institute, stated that the matter would be reviewed in consultation with the Ministry.

“These decisions are part of the government’s policy on foreign students in Indian institutions. We will have discussions with the government and consider various factors,” Prof. Baidya said.

Meanwhile, the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has reacted strongly to the developments.

Mithun Nath, VHP’s Silchar Bibhag Sampadak, has urged the Cachar SP to closely monitor the activities of Bangladeshi students in the district.

“If any suspicious or anti-India comments or activities are detected, prompt action must be taken by the police,” Nath stressed.

Earlier, Prof. Baidya had advised students, including foreign nationals, to avoid activities that could incite hatred or controversy.

The incident began when a former student of NIT Silchar, Saddat Hossain Alphi, posted a morphed image of the institute's entrance gate with the phrase “Dogs and Indians are not allowed” written on it.

Alphi, now residing in Bangladesh, later claimed his profile had been hacked and that the post was not made by him.