The preparation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is an “Indian problem” and there has been no illegal influx from Bangladesh to IndiaBangladesh Border Guard (BGB) Director General Shafeenul Islam said in Guwahati on Friday.
However, BSF DG Rakesh Asthana said that as of December 15, this year’s BSF had captured 3,204 people trying to illegally enter India along the entire India-Bangladesh border. Asthana added the caveat that the figure was not just Bangladeshi nationals, but the total number of people caught while trying to cross illegally, including criminals and smugglers.
The heads of the BSF and BDB addressed a press conference after the successful culmination of Director-General-level talks between the two forces.
Islam said: “I think it is necessary to review the perception that a large number of Bangladeshis are crossing into Assam. If you look at the GDP growth rate of Bangladesh, you will find that we are on a steady upward path. Now our GDP is around $ 2,300. There is no reason for Bangladeshis to cross the border, whether for work or for any other reason.
“Yes, people come to India with valid documents and passports for tourism purposes, but for work reasons, there is no such case … There is no infiltration of Bangladesh into India,” he said. “Anyone who crosses the border without proper documentation is an illegal crossing. Both border guard forces are on the lookout to detain those people, ”Islam said.
The BGB chief ruled out that after the NRC’s publication in Assam in August 2019 and the ensuing political talks of a national NRC, there has been unauthorized migration to Bangladesh from India.
“The culture, heritage and language are the same between Bangladesh and many parts of India. Many of the families have their other relatives on the other side of the borders. They are used to crossing borders and visiting their friends and family on different occasions, be it religious or any holiday. But now we are vigilant and when they do, they are arrested, ”Islam said.
Both Asthana and Islam emphasized the importance of the issue of cattle smuggling – and smuggling of other kinds – and the killings at the border were pressing concerns for their respective countries.
Islam said that in 2018, three Bangladeshi civilians were killed in border violence; 35 in 2019 and 48 until December 18 of this year. Asthana said that this year three Indian civilians have died at the border. He said that India and Bangladesh have a slight difference in their figures, but the two forces reconcile the figures.
Asthana said: “We have issued instructions that lethal weapons (against those trying to cross the border illegally) must not be used. Lethal weapons should be used only as a last resort. We use stun grenades and pump-action guns … “
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