Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the state by strengthening security measures along the international borders.

“The security of the state will be strengthened by strengthening the government's effective measures to prevent infiltration. BSF jawans as well as Tripura police are working in coordination to protect the border”, said Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha while responding to a reference period notice brought by MLA Ranjit Debbarma on the fourth day of budget session of Tripura Legislative Assembly Session.

CM Dr Saha said that the length of border with neighboring Bangladesh with Tripura is about 856 km. Therefore, due to this long international border, there is a problem of illegal entry into the state.

“According to the decision of the central government, the work of barbed wire fencing is going along the Tripura-Bangladesh international border. About 50 km of the international border of the state has not yet been completed with barbed wire fencing due to various reasons. Due to the presence of rivers, valleys, drains etc. within this 50 km boundary and in few places the barbed wire fencing cannot be completed due to the objections of the Border Guard of Bangladesh. Illegal infiltrators are taking the opportunity to enter the state by crossing the borderless areas and at some places”, said CM Dr Saha.

He said that a total of 18 battalions of BSF are deployed in the international border areas of the state to prevent illegal infiltrators in the state.

“The Tripura Police is also working in active coordination with the BSF to prevent various illegal activities in the border areas of the State to prevent illegal Bangladeshi infiltration through joint patrolling, information sharing and joint duty in the border areas of the State” he said.

With a statistic, the Chief Minister said that several cases have been registered under the Indian Passport Act from January 1, 2021 to July 10, 2023. Illegal Bangladeshis and many Rohingyas have been arrested. In these statistics of almost three years, there have been a total of 35 cases from 2021-23 till July 10 and the number of PR (Prosecution Reports) of the case is 120 while a total of 235 persons have been arrested.