Assam Police have arrested at least 17 Bangladeshi nationals in separate operations in Guwahati over the past two days for allegedly entering India illegally, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Kulendra Nath Deka said on Wednesday. The arrests were made as part of police checks and follow-up investigations into the presence and movements of Bangladeshi nationals in the city. Deka, while addressing the media, said the arrests were carried out at different locations and that police were continuing to investigate the circumstances under which the individuals entered the country and subsequently travelled to Guwahati. The police action is focused on establishing their travel routes, places of stay and other circumstances surrounding their alleged unauthorised entry into India.

Among those arrested, five Bangladeshi nationals were detained on Tuesday from the general coach of the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express during routine checking near Paltan Bazar railway station. Police personnel were carrying out checks when they identified and detained the five individuals. According to the police, the group had entered India through Dawki in Meghalaya before making their way to Guwahati. Investigators said the five reached the city on October 5 and subsequently stayed at a hotel. Their presence came to the attention of the police during the course of the checking operation, following which the individuals were taken into custody for further questioning. The arrests formed part of a wider police operation that resulted in at least 17 Bangladeshi nationals being detained in Guwahati over a two-day period.

Police said the five individuals had allegedly crossed into India through Dawki, a border area in Meghalaya, before travelling onward to Assam. Investigators are examining the route they took after entering the country and the circumstances surrounding their arrival in Guwahati. According to police, the group reached the city on October 5 and stayed at a local hotel. During interrogation, one of the arrested individuals allegedly told investigators about the hotel where they had stayed. The person subsequently accompanied a police team to the location, allowing officers to conduct further inquiries into the group's stay. Police are using the information obtained during questioning to establish the movements of the individuals after their arrival in the city and to determine whether their accounts can be corroborated through independent evidence.

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Following the information provided during interrogation, the police team visited the hotel where the individuals had allegedly stayed. Investigators examined CCTV footage from the premises and collected other evidence as part of the inquiry. The footage and other material were examined to establish the presence and movements of the arrested individuals at the hotel. Police subsequently registered a case at Pan Bazar Police Station in connection with the matter. The investigation is expected to focus on the alleged illegal entry into India, the route taken from Meghalaya to Assam and the circumstances in which the individuals came to stay in Guwahati. The police have not disclosed the specific sections under which the case was registered or provided further details about the evidence recovered during the investigation.

The arrest of the 17 Bangladeshi nationals followed separate police operations conducted across Guwahati over two days. While five of the arrests were made during checking of the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express near Paltan Bazar railway station, police have not provided a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding each of the remaining arrests. Authorities have also not stated whether all 17 individuals entered India through the same route or whether they were travelling together. These details are likely to form part of the ongoing investigation as police verify the identities, travel histories and movements of those taken into custody. The questioning of the arrested individuals could also help investigators establish whether there were any connections between the different groups detained during the operations.

Police said the investigation is continuing and that further details would emerge as the identities and movements of the arrested individuals are verified. Authorities are examining the available evidence, including CCTV footage and information obtained during interrogation, as they investigate the alleged unauthorised entry into India. The case registered at Pan Bazar Police Station will form the basis for further legal proceedings against those arrested. At this stage, police have not indicated whether additional arrests are likely or whether any other individuals are suspected of facilitating the alleged entry or stay of the Bangladeshi nationals. The latest operation highlights the scrutiny being maintained by law enforcement agencies over the movement of foreign nationals in Guwahati, particularly when questions arise over their entry into the country and subsequent travel within the Northeast.

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