State Congress urges Amit Shah to strengthen Assam-Bangladesh border management

Guwahati, Aug 16: Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take immediate steps to strengthen border management mechanisms along the Assam-Bangladesh border in light of recurring “pushback” operations by the state police.

In a letter to the Home Minister, Saikia pointed out that the Assam government itself has on multiple occasions acknowledged such pushbacks and deportations of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals, which raises serious questions about the efficacy of the current border management framework.

Referring to the “new strategy of pushback” announced on May 10, Saikia said that despite intensive operations since then and the deployment of the BSF across the 267.5-km stretch of the Assam-Bangladesh border, infiltration remains a persistent problem.

“This situation raises concerns regarding the effectiveness of BSF deployment, resource allocation in challenging terrain, and the evident coordination gaps between the BSF and Assam Police,” Saikia wrote.

He further warned that state-level pushbacks, reportedly carried out in some cases without Foreigners Tribunal processes, could create legal ambiguities and have diplomatic repercussions with Bangladesh.

Seeking Shah’s intervention, Saikia recommended a comprehensive review of BSF strategies, stronger coordination protocols between central and state agencies, and the adoption of technology-driven surveillance and detection systems to enhance operational efficiency.

“Additionally, proactive diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh to address the root causes of infiltration is essential to maintain bilateral trust,” the Congress leader said.

He also suggested issuing clear guidelines on jurisdiction and standard operating procedures for handling infiltrators to ensure state-level actions remain consistent with national policy.

- PTI