The youth wing of the Tipra Motha Party, a constituent of the ruling BJP-led coalition in Tripura, staged a protest in Belonia on Monday, opposing the construction of an embankment by Bangladesh near the international border, which they claim “violates” existing agreement.
Protesters from the Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) rallied against the embankment near Bolla Mukha under Belonia in South Tripura, raising slogans against Bangladesh, its interim chief Muhammad Yunus and Bangladeshi migrants.
The protesters warned the neighbouring country that they would not yield an inch of their border land.
A YTF leader told reporters that Bangladesh was building the “illegal” embankment close to the zero line, “totally breaking the law” and they have “the right to protest their land and border”.
According to border pact, no permanent construction can take place within 150 yards of the zero line.
In a post on X, the YTF later said they were protesting against the illegal construction of embankment, the relentless influx of illegal migrants that threatens the identity and security of Northeast India, the systematic persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, and the increasingly hostile stance of the Bangladesh government
towards the Northeast.
“This is a clear message to all: We will not allow our borders, our people, or our identity to be violated,” the YTF said.
The embankment issue flared up ten days ago with around 500 people from four village panchayats located along the border under Belonia sub-division and CPM MLA Dipankar Sen flagged their concern over possible flooding from the Mahuri river and water-logging during the monsoon because the almost-ready embankment by Bangladesh has no water outlet.
A team of the Tripura government and BSF officials on April 20 undertook an inspection of flood control measures under way in Belonia villages bordering Bangladesh following concerns raised by local populace and assured to complete flood control work on the Indian side within two months. They however did not mention about the embankment being built by Bangladesh.
The Tripura-Bangladesh stretch of the international border is 856km-long. Ties between the two nations have strained following the ouster of the Hasina regime.
The Tipra Motha has been vocal against Bangladesh since a video of Yunus’ speech during an investment summit in China last month went viral.
Yunus was slammed for his controversial statement where he commented about India’s Northeast being “landlocked” and how Dhaka was the only “guardian of the ocean for all this region” .