Security threats mount in Dhubri: Assam CM warns of pro-Bangladesh influence

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has raised serious concerns over security threats along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Dhubri district, warning that the “chicken neck” corridor remains highly vulnerable to cross-border influence.

Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister said that during his recent visit to Dhubri, he observed wall writings urging locals to show allegiance to Bangladesh. “That area falls in the chicken neck. Now on both sides of the chicken neck we have people who are originally from Bangladesh. The entire 22 km stretch, if scrutinised, shows settlements of people who had come originally from Bangladesh, maybe prior to 1971 or even 1951. They are Indian citizens today, but Bangladesh is trying to remind them that they are not originally Indians but Bangladeshis, in order to provoke pro-Bangladeshi sentiment. This will be a serious security threat in the days to come,” Sarma cautioned.

Also Read: Assam: Bangladesh-based Jamaat-e-Islami 'threats' spark fear in Dhubri border villages

Meanwhile, fresh tensions have surfaced in Dhubri after residents of border villages reported receiving threatening phone calls and audio messages allegedly from individuals linked to Bangladesh-based Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). 

Villagers from Lakhimari and Bishkhowa under Golakganj police station said the threats, traced to a Bangladeshi number, warned of “terrible consequences” if anyone assisted police in arrests. The callers also threatened to set houses in the border belt ablaze.

The intimidation attempts follow an incident on the eve of Independence Day when Golakganj police arrested a youth from the Indo-Bangladesh border area carrying a Bangladeshi SIM card and national flag.

Security agencies are closely monitoring the developments amid growing apprehensions of cross-border radical elements trying to foment unrest in the sensitive Dhubri border region.