When Waqf property issue is raging, seven Bangladeshi men detained in Tripura claim to be seeking refuge, but police suspect deeper links to terrorist organizations.
In a major development raising fresh concerns over border security, seven Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended on Saturday evening while attempting to illegally enter Indian territory through the Amzadnagar area near Belonia in South Tripura district. The arrest has triggered alarm over the porous nature of the international border and the growing vulnerabilities in key infiltration-prone zones such as Matai, Rishyamukh, Rajnagar, Rangamura, and Radhanagar.
The operation was carried out based on a credible tip-off received by law enforcement authorities. A team led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Belonia, Rishav, and Belonia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shibu Ranjan Dey, intercepted a white Maruti Eco van bearing registration number TR 08 A 4224 at the Manu Muk Tabla Choumuhani naka check post. Upon conducting a thorough search, the team discovered seven Bangladeshi nationals crammed inside the vehicle, which was reportedly en route to Agartala. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Raju Biswas, was also taken into custody.
During initial interrogation, the detained individuals admitted to crossing the international border through the barbed wire fencing in Amzadnagar around 7 PM on Saturday. They said that their illegal entry had been facilitated by an Indian contact who received a payment for coordinating the crossing and arranging further transport to the state capital.
The Bangladeshi youths claimed to be members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, a student wing of the ruling Awami League. They cited insecurity in their home country as the reason for fleeing and claimed they were seeking temporary refuge in India, fearing for their lives.
Interestingly, the detainees — identified as Robin Hossain (29), Mohammad Rafi (25), Amjad Hossain (27), Shahidur Zaman (28), Fayzal (24), Rehan Molla (21), and Giyas Uddin (35) — claimed to be members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, a student wing of the ruling Awami League. They cited insecurity in their home country as the reason for fleeing and claimed they were seeking temporary refuge in India, fearing for their lives.
However, the narrative has come under scrutiny amid reports suggesting that the group may have ties to Islamic radical organizations. Intelligence agencies are probing potential links with terrorist outfits, especially in the context of recent unrest in Tripura over Waqf property disputes. Law enforcement agencies suspect that the illegal entrants might have intended to exploit communal tensions to incite disturbances within the state.
Police have registered a case under IPC sections 61(2) and 143(3), along with relevant provisions of the Passport Act. The case, recorded as Belonia P.S-27/25, is currently under investigation. On Sunday, the accused were produced before a local court, where the police requested five days’ custody for deeper interrogation and verification of their backgrounds and motives.
According to Belonia OC Shibu Ranjan Dey, the police recovered several suspicious items from the detainees, including seven Android smartphones, a keypad mobile phone, ₹1,64,780 in Indian currency, and 1,935 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT). Investigators are now trying to trace the money’s origin and whether it was meant for funding illegal or disruptive activities.
What is particularly alarming is how the group managed to cross into Indian territory despite the proximity of three key Border Outposts (BOPs) — Amzadnagar, Sarashima, and Belonia. Officials are now closely examining whether there was any lapse in border patrolling or possible collusion with local elements.
The arrest has sparked significant concern among local residents in Belonia and the surrounding border areas. With increasing incidents of infiltration and smuggling being reported, the incident has reignited calls for tighter surveillance, technological upgrades in border monitoring, and stricter vigilance at known vulnerable points.
Security experts are urging the state and central governments to take urgent steps to assess border vulnerabilities, enhance intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and deploy more trained personnel to prevent similar breaches in the future.
As investigations unfold, the authorities remain tight-lipped on whether more arrests are imminent or if a broader network is being pursued. Meanwhile, the case has added another layer of complexity to the challenges faced by security forces in Tripura’s sensitive border regions.
