Assam: Locals nab 32 suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals in Tinsukia

Dibrugarh: Local residents nabbed 32 suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals from the Brahmajan area of Pengree in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district on Wednesday morning.

According to reports, they were caught by locals early in the morning after they arrived in Brahmajan in a van.

The locals made all the men kneel down and questioned them about their whereabouts.

They were later handed over to the police for further investigation.

"We have caught 32 suspected Bangladeshis in the Brahmajan area of Pengree. We learned that they came from Laharighat and were going to Arunachal Pradesh to work in a brick kiln industry. They travelled here by an ASTC bus and were on their way to Arunachal Pradesh when we caught them," said a resident of Pengree.

He added, "They were brought by Afikul Rahman. We have handed them over to the police for investigation. Recently, the government evicted them from Laharighat for illegally encroaching on government land, and now they are coming to this area to establish houses. We will not allow them to build houses in the forest area."

Meanwhile, police have begun an investigation and are checking their credentials.

Recently, several Bangladeshi nationals were intercepted in Arunachal Pradesh for attempting to enter the state using fake Inner Line Permits (ILP).

Sources said there is a shortage of labourers in Arunachal Pradesh, and some middlemen are involved in a racket to address the labour shortage by engaging cheap labourers.

Officials noted that a large section of migrant labourers in Arunachal Pradesh typically comes from parts of lower Assam.