Assam CM Urges Industrialists to Stop Hiring Bangladeshis to Curb Infiltration

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday called on industrialists in Mumbai to stop hiring labourers from Bangladesh, pushing the need to address the root causes of illegal immigration. Speaking at a press conference, CM Sarma stated that unchecked infiltration posed a significant challenge to the nation’s future and urged businesses to take a stand.

“In 1979, the people of Assam said, ‘Support our agitation today; if you do not support this today, 30 years from now, India will be full of Bangladeshis.’ So, what is happening today? Who brings cheap labour? Some of our own industries. They put middlemen to bring those labourers from Bangladesh,” CM Sarma said.

He further said, “As a national duty, we have to do this. If Bangladeshis get jobs, they will keep coming. So, if our industries, trade, and business here decide that they won’t give jobs to Bangladeshis, how will they come here? If we have to strike, we have to strike at the root.”

The Chief Minister’s remarks highlighted his concerns about the rising number of illegal immigrants entering Assam and other northeastern states.

Earlier, during the inauguration of the Mini Inter-State Bus Terminus at Khanapara on January 1, Sarma painted a grim picture of the situation.

“We have seen a huge increase in infiltration in Assam and India,” he said. “Twenty to thirty infiltrators are being detected in Assam every day, and the same number of infiltrators are being seen in Tripura. This is a very worrying issue for us because we have never detected so many infiltrators before.”

CM Sarma linked the increase in illegal immigration to the economic collapse in Bangladesh, particularly in its textile industry. He claimed that many Bangladeshi textile workers were crossing into India due to job losses, with some Indian factory owners encouraging the trend.

“After the unrest in Bangladesh, the textile industry collapsed there. Workers from the textile industry in Bangladesh are coming to India, and many textile factory owners in our country are also encouraging them,” he said.

The Chief Minister disclosed that he had discussed the issue with leaders of northeastern states, the West Bengal government, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Two days ago, I also discussed this with my counterparts from various northeastern states and the West Bengal government,” he added.

The political situation in Bangladesh, particularly since the departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year, has also exacerbated the problem. Attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, have reportedly surged. Addressing the issue of Bangladeshi Hindus migrating to India, CM Sarma said, “I think the numbers are very less, and whoever wanted to come would have come 40 years ago. I think we should not encourage them to come to India.”

He expressed confidence in India’s efforts to address the issue. “The Prime Minister is continuously working to provide security and create a safe situation in Bangladesh. The Hindu people of Bangladesh are also acting very maturely. We have not seen any Hindu Bangladeshi in Assam in the last five months,” he noted.

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