Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong chaired a security review meeting with the state police and Border Security Force (BSF) and directed the security agencies to intensify ground-level vigilance along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border amid growing concerns over infiltration.
Stating that infiltration was being detected almost every day, Tynsong stressed the need for the BSF and the police to increase their presence and activities on the ground to prevent illegal influx.
He said the discussions at the meeting focused on infiltration, challenges posed by Meghalaya’s terrain, inadequate border infrastructure, and reports that local people were allegedly facilitating such crossings.
Tynsong said many of those intercepted were ordinary Bangladeshi citizens seeking to leave their country and settle elsewhere, rather than individuals necessarily entering with the intention of creating trouble.
He, however, stressed that Meghalaya could not ignore unauthorised movement across the international border. He said the security agencies had been directed to take stronger preventive measures.
On allegations that locals were helping Bangladeshi nationals cross over into Meghalaya, he declined to disclose the details of the operational response but said instructions had been issued to the police, the administration and the BSF to address the issue.
A major concern identified during the review meeting was the presence of uncovered stretches along the international border, particularly in East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills.
Tynsong pointed to incomplete fencing in these areas and said the combination of unfenced stretches, difficult terrain and poor accessibility made parts of the border particularly vulnerable.
Responding to questions on how infiltration could take place despite the deployment of the BSF, Tynsong pointed to the ground conditions in Meghalaya compared with those in the plains.