Textile industry owners incentivising 'illegal migrants' from Bangladesh for importing cheap labour: Assam CM

Guwahati: Stating that Northeastern states witnessed "massive influx" from Bangladesh since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday claimed that some owners of textile industry in India were incentivising the "illegal migrants" for illegally importing cheap labour force.

Interacting with journalists on the first day of 2025 here, Sarma said one of the major reasons for the influx was the collapse of the textile industry in Bangladesh following the ouster of the Hasina-led government.

"So, the labourers who earlier worked in the textile industries in Bangladesh are coming to India and many textile factory owners within our country are also incentivising them by giving a good amount of money for illegally importing cheap labour. We raised this matter with Home Minister Amit Shah in my last meeting. This is a very alarming issue for us because we never detected so many infiltrators in the past."

Sarma said nearly 1,000 infiltrators belonging to Muslim community have been detected along the border and pushed back since the turmoil broke out in Bangladesh in August in 2024. "Every day 20 to 40 infiltrators are being detected along the border. Equal number of illegal migrants are also being detected in Tripura. The Assam government is not arresting them because if we arrest them and put them into jail, they get bail. So we have created a way to push them back immediately," Sarma said.

Stating that the matter was already taken up with the Centre, Sarma said, "We have to strike at those industrial houses who are incentivising people to come to India illegally for cheap labour."

Sarma had earlier said many such illegal migrants from Bangladesh were provided jobs in textile industries in Tamil Nadu.

When asked about the recent arrest of Bangladeshi nationals by Assam police for allegedly carrying out "jihadi activities", Sarma said at least 23 persons have been arrested from Assam, Bengal and Kerala recently and weapons were seized. "Police are aware about the threats posed by the 'jihadi' from across the border. We are conducting operations in coordination with the central agencies like NIA and the IB and have worked out a robust mechanism."

China dam

Regarding China's approval for a massive dam on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra in Tibet, Sarma said his government already conveyed the concern to the Centre.

"We have communicated to the Centre that if this dam comes, then the Brahmaputra ecosystem will become completely fragile, it will become dry. We will have to depend on rains in Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh for water flow. But if Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh do not get enough rain, then the Brahmaputra will completely dry up. This is a big fear for us, we have raised this concern with the Centre. Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh also raised it," Sarma said.

"The government of India has already communicated the concern with the Chinese side and I am confident this matter will be addressed."