JOWAI/ SHILLONG: Two persons, including a BSF jawan, sustained injuries after a group of Bangladeshi miscreants attacked a house at Amdoh village near Dawki on the Indo-Bangladesh border at 3 am on Wednesday.
A police party led by the officer in charge of Dawki Police Station reached the spot on hearing of the incident and learnt that the Bangladeshi miscreants had attacked the house of one Pratap Bareh and looted cash and one SBBL gun. Bareh had fired in self-defence at the miscreants numbering 10-15, but was overpowered and assaulted.
Earlier that night, another group of Bangladeshis gheraoed two BSF personnel near Rongtila BOP and assaulted them while snatching their weapons. One of the jawans sustained injuries in the attack.
The weapons were recovered following a search conducted in the area.
Both Bareh and the unidentified jawan were taken to Dawki PHC for treatment.
Following the incidents, the Deputy IGP (Eastern Range) Meghalaya visited Dawki and the places of occurrence to take stock of the situation. He also supervised the law and order arrangements in the presence of the deputy commissioner, district police chief, SDO, SDPO and BSF officials.
JSU meets Home Minister
In a related development, a delegation of Jaintia Students Union (JSU) and the headman of Bakur met Home Minister James Sangma and urged him to strengthen law enforcement in the border areas of West Jaintia Hills following recurring attacks on residents by Bangladeshi miscreants.
Speaking to the press after meeting Sangma, JSU spokesperson Treibor Suchen spoke of the shortage of manpower in Dawki Police Station and Muktapur police outpost. He added that the BSF was also facing manpower shortage.
“Infiltration of Bangladeshis is an everyday affair. The authorities concerned are not serious,” he lamented.
Suchen said the JSU urged the Home Minister to speak to the BSF IG and increase vigil in the border areas. “The BSF can easily seize cattle meant for smuggling, but they cannot arrest infiltrators,” he said.
Headman of Bakur, Daniel Khongsit, said, “Bangladeshis enter India in streams as if coming in a procession. They enter even in broad daylight. It is even more dangerous as they block the highway with stones.”