Image used for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
Odisha Police have issued a general alert along the coast and directed ground staff to remain vigilant against possible infiltration through sea routes due to the unrest in Bangladesh.
According to a top police official, ground staff have been asked to immediately report any suspicious activity along the coast. In addition, fishermen have also been warned and asked to report information about foreign boats, if sighted, in the Bay of Bengal along the coast.
Siddharth Kataria, Superintendent of Police, Kendrapara, said, “As part of proactive steps, three marine police stations in the district have been instructed to remain vigilant in view of the instability in Bangladesh. However, no specific warning has been issued to the district police from the central agencies.”
Bengali-speaking settlers lived along the coasts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts. There is a possibility that undocumented migrants could find refuge among a population sympathetic to their situation, making it easier for them to blend into a larger community, a security expert said.
There have been cases in the past of fishing boats from Bangladesh entering Indian waters in the Bay of Bengal, leading to the fishermen being taken into custody.
In 2005, 1,551 people from Kendrapara district were officially identified as Bangladeshis and ordered to leave the country.
