Kenny Jyrwa

Dawki, Aug 7: What would one expect if a country has just been plunged into chaos after the collapse of its government after widespread protests? Shouldn’t it be heavier deployment of security forces to secure its borders and ensure no infiltration occurs. Well, that should ideally have been the situation but it is the complete opposite on the Bangladesh side of the border at Dawki, a land border connecting India and Bangladesh in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district.

The first thing that happened as soon as Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh after resigning as the Prime Minister and Army took over the reins of the country on Monday afternoon was that its Army, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), left their posts at Dawki, leaving it completely unmanned!

Another surprising thing that happened with the political development was that hundreds of boats appeared on the Bangladesh side of the Umngot River, where it is called Piyan River. Left unchecked, these boats vigorously started mining stones and sand from the river bed.

Hub News went to Dawki on Tuesday to assess the ground reality and see if any illegal immigration was happening as people try to flee a politically unstable Bangladesh, especially the minorities who have reportedly been targeted by Islamic fundamentalists.

Hub News discovered that the situation on the Indian side is relatively calm with the Border Security Force (BSF) intensively manning the international border. The local villagers are also alert to any infiltration.

Hub News team also confirmed the river bed mining in the Piyan River has been going on non-stop the moment Army took over Bangladesh on Monday afternoon, with hundreds of boats engaged day and night. But it is confined only to the Bangladesh side.

A video had gone viral on Monday claiming hundreds of Bangladeshis allegedly trying to cross the border via the Umngot River. Headman of Dawki, Mankhraw Ryngksai, clarified that there was no illegal infiltration in the area and the video was of the boats extracting boulders on Bangladesh side.

He explained that the moment the Bangladesh government collapsed, boats rushed to the Piyan River (the Umngot river side of Bangladesh) to extract stones, an activity banned by the Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladesh government in 2019.

Ryngksai said the Dorbar Shnong fully trusts the BSF personnel and the government. He also stated that the Dorbar Shnong is taking serious initiatives to check any illegal crossing activities by Bangladeshis.

Expressing concern, he said that the stone extraction that resumed after a five-year ban will adversely impact both the Indian and Bangladesh sides during the winter months.

Despite tourists still visiting the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Tamabil and the BSF jawans keeping vigilant on the Indian side, the Bangladesh side appeared deserted. Locals reported that a huge protest was held on the opposite side, with people storming into Bangladeshi government offices, but no cases of illegal crossing were reported.

Another local observed that the stone extraction appeared to be a calculated move by the Bangladeshis, potentially encroaching into Indian territory. However, he confirmed that there were no illegal crossings, just non-stop stone extraction since the previous day.

A woman living just a few meters from the Line of Control (LOC) expressed concern that illegal crossings could pose a huge problem for Dawki residents. She noted that there are many pathways for the Bangladeshis to cross into Indian territory, not just through the Umngot River.

When asked if Khasis from the Bangladeshi side would seek refuge amid the tension, she said that she, along with the Dorbar Shnong, would welcome them without hesitation.

Despite her concerns about the ongoing conflict in Bangladesh, she affirmed that the situation in Dawki remains calm.

Meghalaya government clamped a night curfew along the international border with Bangladesh amid the unrest in the neighbouring country on Monday. The curfew along the over 444 km boundary stretch is applicable 200 meters from LOC or zero point, from 6 pm to 6 am daily until further notice.

An unruly mob has been on a vandalism spree across Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh as well as fleeing the country. Army took over the control of the country’s affairs to form an interim government. Late on Tuesday night, it was decided that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus would lead the Bangladesh’s interim government.

The protests in the country had erupted in June this year over a contentious reservation policy for the decedents of the heroes of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, making 30 percent reservation for them in civil posts. The protests turned violent in July at Dhaka University where few of the protestors died in confrontation with security forces and pro-government groups. The protests and violence quickly spread to other parts of the city and slowly to other parts of the country, leading to death of over 300 people.

Despite the Supreme Court of Bangladesh later curtailing the overall reservation to only 7 percent, Hasina’s directive to call in Army, use violence besides blanket ban on internet and telephonic services and clamping curfew to control the situation further riled the protestors. After a brief lull, the violence erupted again on Sunday, killing atleast 100 on the same day with the security forces also sustaining many casualties.

Right before the protestors stormed into her palatial residence on Monday afternoon, she resigned and the left the country.

Also Read: Bangladesh Unrest: Rakkam calls for humanitarian aid for Khasi-Pnar & Garos in Bangladesh

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