Two illegal immigrants arrested by Hailakandi Police, Mother and Son duo trespassed in 2019

In a significant breakthrough, the Hailakandi Police apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals suspected of illegal immigration, following a tip-off provided by the Bilaipur Police. Rubel Ahmed Sheikh and his mother, Amirun Begun, were taken into custody by the police and they have been presented to the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate today.

Since their unlawful entry in 2019, the mother-son duo had been residing discreetly in a village within the Bilaipur area of Hailakandi, evading detection until authorities received actionable intelligence. The pivotal role played by Nabajit Lahon, the in-charge of the Bilapur Police Outpost and his team, led to the successful apprehension of the suspects.

Rubel Ahmed Sheikh and Amirun Begun were promptly presented before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Hailakandi, where their case will undergo due legal process. The porous border between the two neighbouring countries has been a subject of deliberation for decades now. Agents on the other side of the border charge a hefty amount from people who wish to migrate to India in search of better livelihood opportunities but can’t afford the legal route of visa and passport.

The latest amendments of the Citizenship Act notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on March 11, 2024, provide a fast track to naturalisation for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to Hindu-majority India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before Dec. 31, 2014. The law excludes Muslims, who are a majority in all three nations.