Bangladeshi nationals ride country boats on the Jinjiram River along the Indo-Bangladesh border fence in Kalaichar, Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Meghalaya has deported 194 Bangladeshi nationals out of 658 prosecuted since 2021 as part of a drive against illegal migration, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told the 60-member Assembly on Tuesday (February 17, 2026).
Mr. Tynsong, who holds the Home (Police) portfolio, tabled the data and detailed the State’s enforcement strategy while responding to a call attention notice moved by Heaving Stone Kharpran, an MLA of the Voice of the People Party.
He said action was taken against Bangladeshi nationals who entered Meghalaya illegally between 2021 and February 3 under relevant legal provisions. “The 194 were deported after they completed their sentences, and travel permits were secured from the Bangladeshi authorities,” he added.
Mr. Tynsong outlined a “multi-layered mechanism” put in place to check infiltration, a sensitive issue in Meghalaya and the wider northeastern region. These (the measures) include 18 check posts, entry gates, and a land customs station along vulnerable stretches of the State’s border with Assam and Bangladesh.
Meghalaya shares a 443-km border with Bangladesh, of which 76 km remains unfenced.
The House was also informed that a State-level monitoring committee oversees the implementation of anti- infiltration measures. Action is taken under relevant provisions of the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act of 2016, the Immigration and Foreigners’ Act of 2025, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Mr. Tynsong said.
Published – February 17, 2026 06:15 pm IST
