'Historical Mistakes': Assam CM Himanta Sarma Flags Concerns Over India-Bangladesh Border Fencing

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has described the incomplete fencing of the India-Bangladesh border as a "historical mistake", arguing that the border management provisions of the 1985 Assam Accord have effectively begun to be implemented only in 2025. He said efforts to curb illegal movement from Bangladesh were hampered because fencing was initially undertaken only along Assam’s border, while stretches in Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal remained open. Sarma noted that fencing work is now nearing completion in Meghalaya and progressing in Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal. He also welcomed the Centre’s committee on demographic changes and suggested verification of the citizenship status of families living in border areas.