India’s intelligence agencies are keeping a close watch on the India-Bangladesh border amid plans by the Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies to stage major protests against the alleged push-ins of illegal Bangladeshi nationals.
The protests are scheduled to begin on Friday in districts along the India-Bangladesh border, with a rally and procession planned for June 15.
An official said that during these protests, the parties in Bangladesh would attempt to spread what Indian agencies describe as false information regarding India’s action against illegal immigrants. While all legal procedures are being followed, Jamaat has alleged push-ins and has even accused the Border Security Force (BSF) of killing Bangladeshi nationals near the frontier.
“This information and narrative that is being set is completely false,” the official said.
“The idea is to incite people into taking on the Indian establishment and also target the BSF by spreading misinformation,” the official added. The alliance has also accused the Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government of being too soft on the issue and aligned with India.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that the 11-party alliance in Bangladesh has two key objectives. While disinformation campaigns form one part of the agenda, the other is to create tensions between India and Bangladesh.
Both India and Bangladesh have reset ties and are working on various issues after Tarique Rahman took over as Prime Minister early this year. Bangladesh has indicated that it wants good relations with its neighbours and understands India’s strategic importance, the official said.
The Jamaat, however, does not have a pro-India stance. According to Indian security officials, the Jamaat, following Bangladesh’s Liberation War, worked with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to facilitate large-scale illegal immigration into India. “The objective was to alter demographics, fuel communal tensions, build crime syndicates and create economic distress by affecting local employment opportunities,” the officials allege.
The planned protests are being closely monitored by Indian agencies as they are being held in border districts where Jamaat enjoys considerable influence. In the recent elections, the party won 51 of its 68 seats in districts directly bordering India.
Indian agencies had earlier raised concerns about these electoral gains and advised heightened vigilance along the border. Adding to security concerns is a call by the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) for the formation of human shields against the alleged push-ins.
“There would be attempts to incite violence, which could well spill out into India,” the official added.
The fake narrative and attempts to incite communal tensions have become a major concern for Indian agencies. An official said, however, that India remains on a state of very high alert and that any such attempts would be thwarted.
Meanwhile, India has maintained that it is not carrying out push-ins and is only repatriating illegal foreign nationals through established legal procedures and bilateral agreements.
Following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s massive victory in the recent West Bengal and Assam elections, there has been renewed focus on the repatriation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
According to officials, the issue is of critical importance as illegal immigration has allegedly contributed to demographic changes, recruitment by terror groups, job losses through cheap labour, counterfeiting operations and cattle smuggling.
“Hence, this action is of utmost importance in terms of both national security and economic stability,” an official explained.
While Jamaat is attempting to create a narrative that there are forced push-ins and alleged killings by Indian security forces, India has denied such charges and maintained that repatriation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is being carried out only after following due legal process.
India has also urged Bangladesh to expedite nationality verification so that the repatriation process can proceed smoothly. Officials note that Indian law requires illegal foreign nationals residing in the country to be repatriated in accordance with established legal procedures and bilateral agreements.
