Assam on high alert in view of fresh unrest in Bangladesh: Himanta

Assam is on “high alert” in the wake of the fresh wave of unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. Sarma, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, said the state government was closely monitoring the developments in Bangladesh.

‘We have seen that in Bangladesh, Hindus are being subjected to atrocities and burnt alive... Those who are currently in power in Bangladesh have been talking about including northeast India in their country,” the CM claimed.

It is also well known that people from Bangladesh entered Assam at different times and the state is “full of these people,” he asserted.

“We have to be vigilant and must keep a sharp eye on the developments in that country,” Sarma said. Sarma had claimed last week that “Bangladeshi elements” have been repeatedly saying that northeast India should be merged with the neighbouring country, which is ‘irresponsible and dangerous’ and India will not remain silent on this.

“India is a very big country, a nuclear nation and the fourth largest economy of the world. How can Bangladesh even think about it?” the Chief Minister had said.

Bangladesh has witnessed a fresh wave of unrest following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. He was a prominent face in the anti-government protests that forced the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina Government.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders are in force along the India-Bangladesh border in Assam’s Cachar district to prevent illegal movement and potential law and order threats, officials said.