Friday, Mar 29th 2024
Trending News

Retired Armyman Is Bangladeshi Immigrant, Say Assam Cops

By Fnf correspondent | PUBLISHED: 01, Oct 2017, 12:18 pm IST | UPDATED: 01, Oct 2017, 12:21 pm IST

Retired Armyman Is Bangladeshi Immigrant, Say Assam Cops GUWAHATI:  After serving the Army for 30 years, a retired soldier has been accused of being an illegal migrant from Bangladesh and a case has been registered against him by the Assam police. The foreigners' tribunal will hear the matter on October 13.

Mohd Azmal Haque - who lives in Chayyagaon, 70 km from state capital Guwahati -- retired as a Junior Commissioned Officer last year. "I am very sad, I cried a lot. My soul is broken... After 30 years of service I have to face such insult," Mr Haque told NDTV. "If I were an illegal Bangladeshi, how could I serve the Indian army?"

He said a police verification is mandatory when anyone joins the army. The verification was conducted in his case as well.  

Infiltration from Bangladesh is a sensitive issue in Assam. The state, which had six Muslim-majority districts in 2001, had nine within a decade.

Last year, the BJP came to power in the state with a key promise of ending illegal immigration by sealing the 262-km-long porous border.

 
But locals allege there have been several cases in which Indian nationals have been harassed.
 

Mr Haque said in 2012, his wife Mumtaz Begum also faced similar allegations. At the time, the couple had to present documents to prove their citizenship. "We produced all documents at the tribunal court that time...  they declared her a proper Indian citizen," he said.

This incident has triggered sharp reaction in social media.
You Might also Like