By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: India on Thursday called for Bangladesh’s cooperation in the repatriation of illegal immigrants staying in India, stressing the need for faster nationality verification.
Addressing a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said more than 2,862 nationality verification cases are pending with Bangladesh, some for over five years.
“These comments must be seen in the context of the core issue of repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis from India. This requires cooperation from Bangladesh,” Jaiswal said.
He said India expects Bangladesh to expedite the verification process to facilitate smooth repatriation of illegal immigrants in accordance with established laws and bilateral arrangements.
Jaiswal was responding to questions regarding remarks made by Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Khalilur Rahman following the BJP’s victory in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections.
Rahman had reacted to reports of alleged “push-ins” by Indian border guards, stating that Bangladesh had previously lodged strong protests over similar comments made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and would take necessary measures if required.
The issue has also figured in political commentary in Bangladesh, with commentator Altaf Parvez writing in leading daily Prothom Alo that the BJP’s victory in West Bengal and the NDA’s return to power in Assam had increased “saffron pressure” along Bangladesh’s eastern and western borders with India.
The reference was linked to repeated allegations by BJP leaders in Assam and West Bengal regarding illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
Assam Chief Minister Sarma recently said 20 foreign nationals were apprehended in Assam and pushed back to Bangladesh on April 26. However, he did not disclose the location where they were detained or specify their nationality.
“Assam will fight, pushbacks will continue,” the Chief Minister said in a social media post.