Agartala: Over the last couple of months, an intensive campaign in favour of identifying and deporting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants has swept through Tripura, with the Tipra Motha Party emerging as the centre of the campaign. However, there is a general sentiment palpable among the people against the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
At the same time, recent trade restrictions imposed by the Government of India on a range of Bangladeshi goods have severely impacted bilateral commerce through the Akhaura Land Port and other land customs stations.
The call against Bangladeshis
Ever since former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina was deposed from her post, the definition of Bangladesh as a neighbour changed for the people of Tripura. The principles of cultural and linguistic identity that used to dominate any discourse related to Bangladesh gradually disappeared, and Bangladesh started to be treated as a “threat”.
The Tipra Motha Party, the second-largest political party in Tripura after BJP and also a constituent of the BJP-led political coalition that rules in Tripura, was quick to take advantage of the opportunity. Supremo of Tipra Motha Pradyot Kishore Debbarma—also the royal head of Tripura’s Manikya Dynasty—launched an anti-Bangladesh campaign across the state.
He even urged the Centre to help him break up a neighbouring sovereign nation to create “Greater Tipraland”—a highly ambiguous ideological demand that laid the foundation of Tipra Motha. Later, the political target of the party shifted to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
In both issues, Debbarma and his party received widespread support irrespective of caste and community. Tipra Motha, which naturally grew as a tribal-based party, started to get acceptance of some sort in the non-tribal Bengali majority as well.
In a live social media broadcast earlier on Monday, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma urged all party MLAs to initiate constituency-level drives to locate and identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs has already directed states to begin special drives. We have known this was a problem for years,” Debbarma said.
He warned that undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh and Rohingya communities are settling in the state, acquiring ration cards and voter IDs, and consuming resources intended for Indian citizens. “They may play a decisive role in the 2028 elections if action is not taken now,” he warned.
Adding weight to Tipra Motha’s stance, party MLA Ranjit Debbarma issued a detailed press statement demanding swift and decisive action from both the Tripura and central governments.
“Bangladeshi nationals have unlawfully occupied rented houses, slum pockets, forest reserves, and even government land. Many have forged Indian documents like Aadhaar, voter ID, and PAN cards with the help of brokers and local political leaders,” he claimed.
Ranjit Debbarma, a former rebel turned legislator, said he had already written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “This is a national security issue,” he warned. “We have credible inputs that some illegal migrants support Pakistan and may be influenced by groups like ISI or radical elements from Bangladesh.” Debbarma also prepared a list of areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) where such immigrants had allegedly settled. These include village councils in Longtharai Valley, Gandatwisa, Dumburnagar, Korbook, and Sabroom subdivisions.
According to the Tipra Motha MLA, illegal immigrants are active in a variety of economic sectors—from construction and transport to retail and even educational institutions. He accused some of fraudulently assuming Hindu identities to blend in and evade scrutiny. “In several cases, migrants marry local women—often widowed—to gain permanent residency,” he added.
Pointing to similar operations carried out in Delhi, Gujarat, and Assam, where bulldozers were used to demolish illegal encroachments, Debbarma demanded a Tripura-specific “Operation Detect and Deport Bangladeshis.” He urged the Home Ministry, the TTAADC, and state police to jointly implement a crackdown. “Silence from the ruling parties only encourages this influx. Every political force must come together in the national interest,” he said.
Push Back Operation
Intelligence sources have confirmed that a nationwide crackdown following the recent Pahalgam terror attack has resulted in the detention and repatriation of hundreds of illegal Bangladeshi nationals.
Over 400 undocumented migrants were reportedly flown to Tripura by special Indian Air Force aircraft before being quietly pushed back to Bangladesh through state borders.
“If the Bangladeshi authorities are alerted in advance, it could result in diplomatic pushback,” said one intelligence official of Tripura Police.
The illegal immigrants are pushed back mostly during night hours.
Different Bangladeshi media outlets like The Daily Star and Prothom Alo carried news articles with photographs of Bangladeshi nationals who had been pushed back from Tripura borders.
According to field operatives, many of the undocumented migrants use Tripura merely as a transit point. They avoid extended stays in Agartala and quickly disperse to larger cities using the state’s strong railway network. Once in metro or tier-II cities, they often secure jobs in construction or informal sectors, making detection difficult.
“It’s a full-fledged network. Once one person settles down, they bring more of their relatives and the cycle continues,” sources said.
Security officials have also documented instances of illegal migrants marrying Indian citizens to bolster their claim to residency.
On being contacted, DIG Crime and Intelligence Krishnendu Chakravarthy said, “As per the instructions of the Centre, the process of identifying illegal Bangladeshi immigrants has been started.”
Trade Barrier
On May 17, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification restricting the import of various goods from Bangladesh through land ports in the Northeast, including Tripura.
The list of banned imports includes all kinds of ready-made garments, processed food items, fruit-flavoured and carbonated drinks, plastic and PVC finished goods (except raw materials), cotton waste, and wooden furniture. These items are now allowed only via sea ports in Nhava Sheva and Kolkata, limiting their access to Northeastern markets.
Officials at the Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP) confirmed that while ready-made garments were not a major item through Agartala, other banned items such as plastic goods, processed foods, and beverages constituted a substantial volume of trade.
“Since the restrictions came into effect, only essential goods like fish, dry fish, LPG, and edible oil have been allowed through. Since Sunday, the movement of cargo has dropped drastically. Only a very limited quantity of cement and basic materials are coming in,” Akhaura Land Port Manager Debasish Nandi told EastMojo.
The new curbs are already being felt by traders on both sides, but Bangladesh is set to suffer more. According to a rough estimate, goods worth approximately 30 lakh Bangladeshi Taka were exported daily through Akhaura, much of which fell under the restricted categories.
A senior executive from RFL Plastic, a major Bangladeshi exporter, expressed concern over the limitations. “The Northeast Indian market is now unreachable. If we can only export through sea ports, our transportation costs skyrocket,” Kamrujjaman Kamal was quoted as saying by the daily Prothom Alo.
Data from the recently concluded financial year underscores the significance of the Akhaura Land Port. Bangladesh exported goods worth Rs 453 crore through the port, up from Rs 427 crore the previous year. Traders now fear that the fresh restrictions could decimate this trade corridor.
Reacting to the economic implications, an exporter from Comilla said, “Akhaura was our gateway to five Indian states. If these restrictions stay, trade relations will be crippled. Both governments must reconsider this decision.”
On May 21, Director of the Industries and Commerce Department, Tripura, Dr. Sailesh Yadav, chaired a review meeting at the Akhaura ICP to ensure compliance with the new trade policies. Officials have been directed to strictly enforce the DGFT notification and allow passage only to exempted items.
Also Read: Explained: Why a 1977 policy is causing protests across Nagaland
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