The reported movement of 27 Bangladeshi nationals through Meghalaya after allegedly entering India via the Dawki sector has raised questions over border surveillance, with the Hynniewtrep Youths’ Council (HYC) seeking a time-bound probe into how the group travelled through the state and reached Assam without being detected.
The 27 nationals were detained by Assam authorities in Guwahati and Bongaigaon earlier this week. According to Assam Po- lice, preliminary questioning indicated that they had crossed into Meghalaya on foot through the Dawki sector before travelling towards Jorabat and subsequently entering Guwahati.
Police said the group had allegedly been assisted by agents and that investigations were underway to identify those who facili- tated their entry and movement.
The development has prompted the HYC to question whether there were gaps in sur- veillance along vulnerable stretches of the India-Bangladesh border and on routes con- necting border areas with Assam.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the organisation called for a thorough investiga- tion into the entire chain of events, including the circumstances of the alleged crossing, the group’s movement through Meghalaya and the possible involvement of touts, brokers, transporters or other facilitators.
The HYC said the apprehension of the 27 persons in Assam should not mark the end of the matter, arguing that authorities also needed to determine how the alleged move- ment went undetected within Meghalaya.
It called for a review of security arrangements along the Dawki sector and other vulnerable portions of the international border, including footpaths and traditional crossing points, and sought closer coordination among the BSF, Meghalaya Police, Assam Police and other agencies.
The organisation also demanded investigation into any network allegedly facilitating illegal cross-border movement and said respon- sibility should be fixed wherever negligence or dereliction of duty is established.
The reported route has added significance because the group allegedly travelled from the Bangladesh border through Meghalaya before reaching Jorabat, a major transit point on the Meghalaya-Assam route. Assam Police said Guwahati was being used as a transit point before the group was apprehended.