Protest over citizenship law: Immigration thru’ Tamabil closed

Immigration to India through Tamabil land customs station in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet was suspended this morning as protests grew in the country over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The north-eastern Indian state, Meghalaya, barred entry of foreigners through the border, our Sylhet correspondent reports quoting Moniruzzaman, special superintendent of Immigration (land and seaports) of Police confirmed the situation.

He said, "We started regular immigration process in the morning but after passing some travellers, we came to know that the Indian counterpart is refusing them to enter Meghalaya".

"As far we came to know that the Meghalayan Police barred entry of travellers through the border following the unrest progressing in the state", he said.

He said, "We then revoked the immigration of these passengers and closed immigration processing through the only land customs station with the state".

Indian states -- Assam and Meghalaya -- is unrest at present following the controversial Citizenship Bills and Bangladesh shares its borders with the states.

“We have two border customs station with Assam of India but the immigration process is normal at these stations”, he said.

However, all kinds of export-import through the land port remains normal, said Partha Ghosh, assistant director (traffic) of Tamabil Land Port.

Mobs in India’s states of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya have been protesting a new citizenship law for non-Muslim minorities from neighbouring countries.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind has already given his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into a law amid violent street protests.

Violent mobs in India’s northeastern state of Assam torched buildings and clashed with police yesterday, leaving two dead and 11 with bullet wounds.

Following the protests, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan have cancelled their scheduled trips to India.