Police and the civil administration have launched a search to track down Bangladeshi tribal families, who have evaded repatriation after around 300 people sneaked into Dhalai district of Tripura through unfenced border. An alert has been sounded for information about 25 families who got scattered after infiltration on June 1 and 2 under the Raisyabari police station limits.
The evacuees mostly from Chakma tribe alleged that they were driven out and their homes gutted by a Chakma group opposed to the PCJSS, which is controlling autonomous hill council meant for three districts in Chittagong hill tracts of southeast Bangladesh. Inter-faction clashes and targeted killings have also pushed tribal residents to the Indian side.
Dhalai district magistrate Dr. Milind Ramteke informed that some 25 families did not join repatriation on June 7 and got scattered to evade detection. “We have come to know they had moved to different locations through public transport,” he told The Hindu on Tuesday.
The families who arrived in Raisyabari were from 11 villages under Dighinala police station in Khagrachari district, where trouble broke out between armed community groups. Around 26-km-border stretch in Dhalai district is unfenced and Bangladeshis often take advantage of this porous border.
“Measures have been taken to fence the gap by March next year. The area is remote and inhospitable”, Dr Ramteke stated.
The district magistrate said efforts were under way to trace the missing families. When found they would be handed over to civil administration officials of Bangladesh, he added.
