Twenty-three Rohingya refugees were arrested by police in North Tripura district from Thursday evening to night. The arrests, conducted by the Churaibari and Dharmanagar police stations, included sixteen adults and seven minors. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges surrounding illegal immigration and the plight of refugees seeking better opportunities.
The sequence of events began at the Naka Point of the Churaibari police station, where police personnel were conducting routine searches of vehicles. During the inspection of a night bus numbered ML05T/8382, officers grew suspicious of the conversations among two men and three women. These individuals were subsequently brought to the police station for further questioning. Quick interrogation revealed that all of them were refugees from the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. According to Khokon Saha, the new officer in charge, these individuals had entered the state illegally through the Indo-Bangla border at Dhanpur, facilitated by brokers. Their intended destination was the Royal Colony of Hyderabad, where they had been engaged in various jobs for some time. The individuals arrested were identified as Abdul Elahi (22), Abdul Sukkur (19), Rumi Begum (19), Rosina Begum (22), and Chakhina Begum (18). Rumi Begum had her two baby daughters with her. Legal action has been initiated against them, with a case registered under various sections of the Indian Code of Criminal Procedure, including sections 61(2)(a/143(3) of BNS and 14(A)/14(C) of the Foreign Act and section 3 of the Passport Act.
In a related incident later that night, Dharmanagar police arrested sixteen more Rohingya refugees at Dharmanagar ISBT. This group included eleven adult men and women and five minors, including children. The arrested individuals were identified as Mohammad Lelin (45), Mohammad Anwar (40), Mohammad Ilias (32), Mohammad Harun (38), Mohammad Sabi (30), Mohammad Ibrahim (39), Fauzul Islam (22), Mohammad Sultan (28), Noor Mohammad (68), Abdul Malik (23), and Mohammad Hasan (33), along with their children. These refugees were from Kutupalong and Balukhali camps in Bangladesh. They reported having paid five thousand rupees to cross the border but were unable to provide information about the 17 individuals caught earlier in Dharmanagar. The arrested refugees had reportedly come to Dharmanagar en route to a camp in Jammu and Kashmir, traveling via Assam Agartala Road.
Currently, the arrested individuals are being held at Dharmanagar Police Station and the women’s police station. The police have registered cases against them and have commenced investigations into their illegal entry and movements. The arrested refugees are scheduled to be presented before the Dharmanagar District and Sessions Court on Friday, as the police continue to scrutinize the circumstances and networks facilitating such illegal crossings.
This series of arrests highlights the ongoing issue of illegal immigration through the Indo-Bangladesh border and the desperate measures taken by refugees in search of better livelihoods. The involvement of brokers and the organized nature of these movements call for a thorough investigation to address the root causes and prevent further illegal entries.
