Dibrugarh, Dec 3: Thirty-two suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals were detained by local residents in the Brahmajan area of Pengree in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Wednesday morning and later handed over to the police for verification.
According to local accounts, the group was intercepted after they reportedly arrived in a van from Laharighat and were headed toward Arunachal Pradesh, allegedly for work in a brick kiln. Videos circulating locally showed the men being made to kneel as residents questioned them about their identities and travel route.
“We caught 32 suspected Bangladeshis at Brahmajan. They had come from Laharighat, travelling by ASTC bus and then by van. They told us they were going to Arunachal Pradesh for work,” a Pengree resident said, claiming that a man identified as Afikul Rahman had brought them to the area.
The resident further alleged that the group had recently been evicted from government land in Laharighat and were attempting to move toward forested areas to settle. “We handed them over to the police for investigation,” he added.
Police have initiated an inquiry and are verifying the group’s documents and credentials.
The incident comes weeks after several Bangladeshi nationals were intercepted in Arunachal Pradesh for allegedly attempting to enter the state using fake Inner Line Permits (ILPs). Sources said a persistent labour shortage in Arunachal Pradesh has given rise to middlemen who bring in cheap labourers, many of whom are believed to be migrants from lower Assam.
