SHILLONG, Aug 5: Meghalaya government has decided to immedately impose an indefinite night curfew along the international border following the prevailing situation in neighbouring Bangladesh arising out of the violent protests over the quota system.

Meghalaya shares a 443 km long border with Bangladesh.

“As proactive measures we need to take for the interest of the state and for the country as a whole, today, we have decided to impose a night curfew all along the international border with Bangladesh starting from tonight itself,” Deputy Chief Minister incharge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong announced after chairing a meeting here on Monday.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and BSF Inspector General.

Tynsong said that “the night curfew will be implemented 200 meters from zero point or from international pillar inside the Indian territory from 6 pm to 6am everyday.”

“The government will again take further decision on this imposition of curfew till the situation improves in the neighbouring country,” he added.

Urging the border citizens to extend their full cooperation with the government, Tynsong said, “I request all citizens of the state especially those staying in the border areas to kindly bear with the government for imposition of this curfew. As I said we don’t know yet the situation in Bangladesh so I would like to request all citizens of the state especially those who are staying in the border areas to kindly cooperate and also to be ready to share in case any information they received as the state government as well as the IG or BSF are always there 24×7.”

Asked, the deputy chief minister informed that the Central government had already deployed 9 battalions of BSF along the entire stretch of the international border to strength border security following the situation in Bangladesh.

“The home ministry has also assured to send additional forces as the situation is unpleasant,” he said while adding “We have directed the DIG to keep informing the state government if they need any manpower or anything from the side of the government, we are ready to extend all support.”

Tynsong also confirmed that almost all Indian citizens including from Meghalaya have returned safely to the country.

“We don’t have any other students, which are stranded. Thank God at least all the students have been transferred back to Meghalaya and to India territory.”

He said that the government is effectively implementing the Foreigners’ Act by deporting or booking illegal foreign nationals.

To another question, Tynsong said in view of the prevailing situation, all trade activities/export activities are bound to stop.

The protests in Bangladesh, which began late last month, escalated dramatically when student activists at Dhaka University, the largest in the country, clashed violently with police and pro-government groups. The roots of these protests lie in a controversial quota system, which reserves up to 30 percent of government jobs for family members of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

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