Tripura strengthens border security after intelligence alerts on militant movement near the India–Bangladesh border. Night curfew imposed in Gomati district to prevent infiltration, smuggling, and law-and-order disturbances amid regional security concerns.
Security strengthened along border after reports of militant movement
Security agencies in Tripura have intensified vigil along several stretches of the India–Bangladesh border following intelligence inputs about the movement of cadres belonging to two Bangladesh-based armed organisations — the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF). Officials said on Saturday that precautionary measures have been initiated to prevent any possible infiltration or disturbance to law and order.
Gomati District Magistrate Rinku Lather issued an order after receiving “reliable inputs” from the Border Security Force (BSF) regarding suspected movement of militants of the two outfits in border areas. The inputs also indicated the possibility of illegal infiltration by Bangladeshi nationals, Rohingyas and members of other militant groups with the intention to commit crimes, engage in smuggling activities and disturb public peace.
Citing the security assessment, the District Magistrate imposed night curfew under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, in specific locations under Karbook Sub-Division in Gomati district. The curfew will remain in force from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day up to February 28, with the objective of preventing “anti-national activities” and maintaining peace and tranquillity in the sensitive border belt.
According to the notification, carrying of lathis, firearms or any other weapons during curfew hours has been strictly prohibited. The restriction, however, will not apply to personnel of the police, BSF, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other security agencies on duty. Government officials engaged in essential services have also been exempted. Residents living within 300 metres of the international border have been kept outside the purview of the curfew in view of their daily movement requirements.
Tripura shares an 856-km-long porous border with Bangladesh and is surrounded by the neighbouring country on three sides. The state has historically been vulnerable to cross-border smuggling, illegal infiltration and movement of armed groups, particularly in districts adjoining the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of southeast Bangladesh. Gomati and Dhalai districts directly share borders with the CHT region, which has witnessed prolonged insurgency and ethnic tensions.
In June last year, Tripura Police detained 13 members of PCJSS, including two women, who had allegedly crossed into Indian territory after sustaining injuries in clashes with a rival faction in the CHT. They reportedly entered through the Raishyabari area in Dhalai district seeking medical assistance. Many of them were found with bandages on their limbs when apprehended.
The CHT region has a history of insurgency led by the ‘Shanti Bahini’, the armed wing of PCJSS, which demanded autonomy and protection of the rights of indigenous tribal communities such as Chakmas and Mogs. Their armed struggle officially ended with the signing of the CHT Peace Accord between the Bangladesh government and PCJSS on December 2, 1997. However, several tribal groups have since alleged that key provisions of the accord remain unimplemented.
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Recent reports from across the border suggest renewed tensions and attacks on indigenous communities in the CHT, particularly after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Chakma communities, who are predominantly Buddhist, reside mainly in the CHT, as well as parts of Myanmar’s Chin and Arakan regions and several northeastern Indian states. Indian Chakma leaders have repeatedly called for full implementation of the 1997 accord to safeguard the rights and security of hill tribes.
Against this backdrop, Tripura authorities have adopted heightened security measures, with the administration emphasising that the night curfew and increased patrolling are preventive steps aimed at averting any spillover of unrest from across the international border.
