12 Bangladeshi Nationals Held in Assam: Job Promises Under Scanner

Twelve Bangladeshi nationals, including three children, have been apprehended in Assam’s Goalpara district on suspicion of entering India illegally, with authorities investigating a possible human trafficking and illegal migration network, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The group, comprising nine adults and three children, was found on Friday night after a local resident spotted them wandering in panic, Sarma said in a social media post. According to him, the group told authorities that a broker named Sabor had brought them into India through Jaflong in Meghalaya on October 5.

Sarma said a Khasi man accompanying the broker subsequently took the group to Guwahati, where they stayed for three days. The broker allegedly fled near Guwahati railway station after taking 7,000 Bangladeshi taka and a mobile phone from the group. The individuals later travelled by bus to Goalpara, where they were spotted by the local resident.

The chief minister said the broker had allegedly shown the group video calls with Bangladeshi nationals working at a company in Guwahati and promised them employment. The company owner was reportedly expected to pay Rs 20,000 for each of the nine adults, with the amount adjusted against their wages.

“A human trafficking and illegal migration angle is suspected. Authorities are investigating further,” Sarma said.

A report published on Sunday said the group had been moved to the Matia transit centre in Goalpara district following preliminary questioning. Police are examining the circumstances of their entry into India and the alleged job arrangement.

The investigation is also expected to establish the identities and roles of the broker and his associate, as well as verify the company mentioned in the recruitment offer. The allegations have not yet been established in court.

Assam shares a 267.5-kilometre international border with Bangladesh across Sribhumi, Cachar, Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar districts. An integrated check post operates at Sutarkandi in Sribhumi, while other border check posts in the Northeast are located at Dawki in Meghalaya and Akhaura in Tripura.

Assam Police and the Border Security Force have said they are working to prevent unauthorised crossings along the international border.