By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 29: The BJP’s Meghalaya unit on Monday cautioned that the increasing influence of radicalised Islamist groups in Bangladesh could pose serious security challenges for the northeastern region.
Party spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang said statements from certain quarters in Bangladesh about separating the Northeast is “dangerous” and warrants close attention.
He observed that Bangladesh today is not what it was, recalling that previous governments had maintained friendly relations with India, to the extent of dismantling the camps of militant groups from the northeastern region.
“Although there are no immediate indications of violence in the Northeast, dealing with a radicalised environment is inherently risky. Border management must be strengthened, loopholes sealed, and infiltration prevented,” Kharkrang said.
Highlighting the security setup, he pointed out that unlike Jammu and Kashmir which has a heavy Army presence, the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya is largely guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF).
He stressed the need for strict vigilance by the BSF to prevent any security breaches and urged coordinated action by both state and central governments to ensure peace and stability in the region.
Shillong MP Ricky A.J. Syngkon had earlier flagged the implications of the situation in Bangladesh for Meghalaya which shares a 443-km border with the neighbouring country.
Describing the border as mostly porous, Syngkon had stated that recurring incidents of illegal infiltration should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities as well as the public.
“The developments in Bangladesh have a direct bearing on Meghalaya,” the MP had stated, insisting that the problem of illegal crossings surfaces periodically and cannot be taken lightly.
He had also drawn attention to the economic impact of border instability, noting that as a border state, Meghalaya’s economy is particularly vulnerable. Illegal cross-border activities, he said, not only strain local resources but also result in significant revenue losses for the state.
While acknowledging the efforts of the BSF and other security agencies, Syngkon had remarked that monitoring the entire border round the clock remains a challenge given its length and terrain.
Meanwhile, central security agencies have stepped up surveillance along India’s eastern frontier amid apprehensions that instability in Bangladesh could be exploited by hostile elements to destabilise the Northeast.
The BSF and Meghalaya Police, along with other central and state agencies, has been put on high alert following intelligence assessments pointing to the rise of extremist rhetoric and an increasingly anti-India narrative across sections of Bangladesh.
“As the situation there deteriorates, there is a risk that anti-India elements may attempt to use the unrest as a cover to carry out hostile activities across the border,” a senior official said.
