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India closes Tamabil landport


Published : 13 Dec 2019 09:20 PM | Updated : 05 Sep 2020 10:51 PM

Immigration authorities at Dauki frontier of India are blocking Bangladeshi nationals to enter into India since Friday morning.
India stopped entry of Bangladeshis into the country from through the Tamabil land customs station, amid violent protest in its northeastern states over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

According to sources, Bangladeshi passport holders who used to enter into India through Tamabil border immigration of Sylhet to Dauki immigration to India are not being allowed to enter Indian territory allegedly due to clamping down of curfew at Meghalaya State following a trouble erupted due to passage of the Citizenship( Amendment) Bill in Indian Parliament. Meanwhile, hundreds of Bangladesh passengers and tourists fell in an awkward situation following a sudden decision of the non-entrance of Bangladeshi nationals to Indian territory. Several hundred India-bound passengers and tourists have been learnt to throng at Tamabil frontier of Sylhet on Friday. Though Bangladeshi Immigration authorities were issuing them the permission to enter India, the Dauki Immigration authorities were not allowing them to enter there. As a result, many of them returned to Tamabil from Dauki.

Many tourists, businessmen and common passport holders used to visit the Meghalaya State of India regularly, Specially, Friday being a holiday, there was a huge gathering of tourists to visit Megahalaya through Tamabil frontier. However, they failed to enter into India due to clamping of curfew at Shillong, capital of Meghalaya from Thursday afternoon.

Ramjan Mia, Sub-Inspector of Police of Tamabil Customs office informed, after completing all formalities, Tamabil Customs authorities released more than one hundred passengers to visit India till 11-00 am but those passengers returned within a short time from Indian Customs office and informed they were not being allowed to enter Indian territory.

He further said, an Indian customs official later on informed him that due to a chaotic situation in Meghalaya none of the Bangladeshi nationals are being allowed to enter Indian territory and requested him not to permit further passengers from Tamabil customs and Immigration to the Indian authorities.

Saad Uddin of Comilla was waiting with his family members at Tamabil from early in the morning to visit Shillong. He alleged, getting customs and immigration clearance from Tamabil they entered into Dauki immigration in India but after detaining for a long time, the Dauki authorities returned them to Bangladesh. He further said, the Indian customs or immigration authorities did not inform their Bangladeshi counterpart about the sudden blockage of the Bangladeshi passengers to enter India through the border.

Deklin Renjarlene, a Customs Official of Dauki frontier in India informed, due to imposing of curfew, all hotels, shops, transports in Shillong remained closed, and thinking of the trouble of the tourists and passengers, they were not being allowed to enter into India. However, he said, the Bangladeshi nationals will be allowed to enter into India following the situation of Shillong turns normal, he added.

India on Friday morning stopped entry of foreigners into the country from neighbouring Bangladesh through the Tamabil land customs station, amid violent protest in its northeastern states over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The north-eastern Indian state, Meghalaya, barred entry of foreigners through the Tamabil border in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet, said Moniruzzaman, special superintendent of Immigration (land and seaports) of Police confirmed the situation.

He said, "We started regular immigration process in the morning but after passing some travellers, we came to know that the Indian counterpart is refusing them to enter Meghalaya". "As far we came to know that the Meghalayan Police barred entry of travellers through the border following the unrest progressing in the state", he said.

He said, "We then revoked the immigration of these passengers and closed immigration processing through the only land customs station with the state". Indian states -- Assam and Meghalaya -- is unrest at present following the controversial Citizenship Bills and Bangladesh shares its borders with the states.

“We have two border customs station with Assam of India but the immigration process is normal at these stations”, he said.
However, all kinds of export-import through the land port remains normal, said Partha Ghosh, assistant director (traffic) of Tamabil Land Port. Mobs in India’s states of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya have been protesting a new citizenship law for non-Muslim minorities from neighbouring countries.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind has already given his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into a law amid violent street protests. Violent mobs in India’s northeastern state of Assam torched buildings and clashed with police on Thursday and Friday, leaving two dead and 11 with bullet wounds.