Two Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Meghalaya

Two Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested near the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, a senior police officer said on Saturday. 

In response to information that a group of Bangladeshi nationals had been spotted on Friday in the jungle close to the open international border near Pyrtakuna village, a joint police and BSF team captured Misba Uddin (31) and Badrul Alom (30), while the others were able to escape and return to Bangladesh, according to Superintendent of Police Jagpal Singh Dhanoa. 

Both the arrested persons were from Darponagar village in Bangladesh, he said.

Dhanoa said that “In the past few months, we actively assisted and encouraged the illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi people into India along the Kuliang-Ratacherra axis. As a result, we have detained two Bangladeshi individuals.”

This year alone East Jaintia Hills police caught more than 30 illegal BD infiltrators in the district.

Misba Uddin is sought after in numerous more situations. According to Dhanoa, an investigation is ongoing and a case has been filed.

Bangladesh and Meghalaya share a 443 km long international boundary, 20% of which is unfenced due to the topography.

Earlier on August 19 of this year, in an important verdict by the District and Sessions Judge Syed Imdadur Rahman from Mankachar court, two Bangladeshi nationals have been sentenced to five years in prison for illegally entering India. Additionally, the court slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on both Bangladeshi nationals.

It is learned that the two had entered Assam illegally from Bangladesh about a year ago and, the district and sessions judge's court of South Salmara Mankachar district sentenced the duo to five years in jail with a fine of Rs 10,000 each. 

The convicts have been identified as Abdul Hai, a resident of Behuler Char village of Roumari police station in Bangladesh's Kurigram district, while the other is Niranjan Ghosh, a resident of Gaber gram village of Madergunj police station in Jamalpur district.