Bhubaneswar: Odisha Additional Director General of Police (ADG) for Law and Order, said that coastal security has been put on high alert and patrols have been increased along the seaside and coastal areas of the state in response to the political crisis in Bangladesh.
He further emphasised that preventing any form of infiltration or illegal immigration in the state is the primary responsibility of the Odisha Police. Amid the Bangladesh unrest, “Will not allow any type of infiltration or illegal immigration,” said Odisha ADG Sanjay Kumar to ANI.
The India-Bangladesh border region is currently in a tense situation. The Petrapol border gate is not open to general people. Only sick people who want to come to India for medical treatment are allowed to enter. Some people have been seen waiting at the gate for two days.
Boats and other equipment and our surveillance team of the 18 marine police stations have been sensitized all the officers are there in the seaside and the coastal side, patrolling has been intensified the ADG further said. He also said that the state ADG for coastal security has been informed to keep in touch with the coastguards and Navy officers.
We are keeping a close watch over the political turmoil that happened two days back in Bangladesh problem created there by the miscreants may affect our areas also so we have alerted our coastal security, talked to ADG coastal security.
All the marine police stations have been sensitised, and we have also requested ADG coastal security to keep in touch with the coastguards and Navy officers. We just don’t want any kind of illegal infiltration,” Odisha ADG told ANI. The ADG for coastal security has been informed to keep in touch with the coastguards and Navy officers.
Amid the crisis in Bangladesh that forced Sheikha Hasina to resign as the Prime Minister, all Indian visa application centres in Bangladesh will remain closed until further orders. However, Indian diplomats remain in the country and the missions are functional, sources said
The online portal Indian Visa Application Center (Bangladesh) has a message, “All IVACs will remain closed till further notice, due to unstable situation. Next application date will be informed through SMS & It is requested to pick up the passport on the next working day.”
The development comes a day after India evacuated non-essential staff and their families from its High Commission and consulates in Bangladesh. India has a high commission in Dhaka and consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in an address to the Parliament, said “India is closely monitoring the status of in Bangladesh.”
He said the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh is in touch with the Indians citizens there. After the protests broke out, many of the students returned to India. After lumbering through chaos and violence, Bangladesh is set to get an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus on Thursday.
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the Parliament on Tuesday after the resignation of the former Prime Minister on Monday. Hasina, who was serving her fourth straight term in office since assuming power in 2009, is currently in India after leaving Dhaka on Monday.
It is believed that Nahid Islam, one of the main coordinators of the anti-quota protests that eventually led to the resignation of Hasina, emerged as one of the key figures in the formation of an interim government in the country.
Islam, along with President Shahabuddin and Army chief Zaman, was locked in significant discussions Tuesday evening on the structure of the new government following Hasina’s departure from the country. (With inputs from IANS and ANI)