HT Digital.
Tezpur, Nov 13: Tension gripped Tezpur on Thursday morning after police detained around 80 people suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals. The group was stopped by Kacharigaon Police while travelling in two buses from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, and were subjected to detailed verification of their identity documents.
According to reports, the detainees include men, women, children and elderly people. The buses — bearing registration numbers WB63B 0214 and WB85 0035 — were intercepted during a routine police check at Mission Chariali in Tezpur. While some passengers produced valid documents, many others failed to do so, prompting police to verify their background thoroughly.
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Sources said the individuals claimed they were from Cooch Behar and were travelling to Assam to work at local brick kilns. Interestingly, when asked who sent them, several replied that “the government” had sent them, identifying a person named Jainal Miah as the one who arranged their travel. Reports suggest Jainal acted as a middleman to bring these labourers from West Bengal to Assam.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion, especially amid ongoing concerns in Assam regarding infiltration of suspected Bangladeshi nationals under the guise of migrant labourers. Similar tensions were earlier reported in Dhubri and Gauripur areas over the arrival of labourers for brick kilns.
Police sources stated that verification of documents is still underway and that the nationality of the detainees cannot yet be confirmed. Senior Superintendent of Police of Sonitpur district, Barun Purkayastha, said the individuals claimed to be coming from Cooch Behar for work, and once their documents are verified, they will be sent to their intended workplaces if found genuine.
Meanwhile, reports of an active racket in West Bengal allegedly preparing fake identity documents for money have raised further suspicion about how easily such groups manage to enter Assam. The movement of two full buses of people without proper papers has now become a matter of serious concern for the authorities.
