In a swift operation, Assam police intercepted five Bangladeshi nationals attempting to cross the international border into Assam at 3 AM on July 18. The individuals were promptly pushed back, averting any illegal entry into the state.
As per the sources, the youths were Bangladeshi Muslims. They were detained near the international border. The police were keeping an eye on border areas because of the student unrest in Bangladesh,
This incident follows closely on the heels of recent remarks by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding demographic changes in the state. Last Friday, Sarma expressed deep concerns over the rising Muslim population in Assam, citing significant statistical data.
Chief Minister Sarma highlighted a dramatic increase in the Muslim population, which has surged from 12% in 1951 to 40% in recent years. He predicted that Assam could become a Muslim-majority state by 2041, a projection based on census data.
“These are not my facts; this is data from the Indian census,” Sarma stated during a media address. He pointed out that the Muslim population in Assam was 36% in 2010-11 and emphasized that the percentage has continued to rise every decade. According to Sarma, the Muslim population has been increasing by close to 30% each decade, a trend evident in census data from 1981 onwards.
