Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, meanwhile, said it was difficult to deport the Bangladeshi infiltrators even after they were declared as “foreigners” by the Tribunals because Bangladesh had refused to accept them. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, meanwhile, said it was difficult to deport the Bangladeshi infiltrators even after they were declared as “foreigners” by the Tribunals because Bangladesh had refused to accept them.

Even as Tribunals specially created for handling cases related to illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh had declared over 38,000 persons as foreigners, the Assam Police have now sought the support of the public to trace them after most of them have gone underground.

A series of advertisements put out by the Assam Police in local newspapers here on Wednesday gave names of over 1,600 such “untraced declared foreigners” who had illegally entered the state after 1971, and sought information about them from the citizens. “We are soon releasing lists for the remaining districts too,” said KK Baishya, SP (border).

CM Tarun Gogoi, meanwhile, said it was difficult to deport the Bangladeshi infiltrators even after they were declared as “foreigners” by the Tribunals because Bangladesh had refused to accept them. “There are problems in deporting those declared and identified as foreigners. Bangladesh does not want to take them back,” Gogoi said when asked to comment on the advertisements put out by the police.

Gogoi also said while he did not have the authority to talk directly to Bangladesh, it was for the Centre to take up the issue with the neighbouring country. “We have been pressing the Centre,” the CM said. The newspaper advertisements gave names of at least 1,600 such “untraced declared foreigners” of 12 of the state’s 35 police districts, with the Biswanath Chariali district showing the longest list of 681 names.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.