The Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned the acting Indian high commissioner, Pawan Badhe, to express Dhaka’s dissatisfaction with statements made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Ishrat Jahan, Director General of South Asia, conveyed Bangladesh’s concerns to the acting envoy in the afternoon.
Bangladesh labeled the comments as “disparaging” following Himanta’s interview on ABP News on April 15. In the interview, he mentioned the challenges of pushing back Bangladeshi individuals due to the presence of Bangladesh police at the border and the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries.
The Assam Chief Minister explained that individuals are pushed back under the cover of darkness in areas not guarded by the Border Guard Bangladesh. He highlighted the complexities of deportation procedures and the lack of cooperation due to the absence of a formal extradition agreement.
Himanta mentioned the National Register of Citizens process in Assam and claimed the identification of 1.7 million “infiltrators.” He clarified the process of pushing back individuals and the legal framework governing such actions.
In a subsequent post on X on April 26, Himanta reiterated the commitment to expelling illegal immigrants from Assam, emphasizing the continuation of pushback operations.