Assam Chief Minister Claims ‘Massive Increase’ in Migrants Due to Bangladesh Textile Sector Collapse

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Wednesday that there has been a significant rise in undocumented migration into Assam, attributing this to the political turmoil and the collapse of the textile industry in neighboring Bangladesh, according to The Indian Express.
During a press conference reviewing Assam’s performance in 2024, Sarma highlighted that the political upheaval in Bangladesh, which saw the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August due to protests by students against her Awami League government, led to the economic downturn affecting the textile sector. Following this crisis, Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, assumed leadership of Bangladesh’s interim government.
Sarma noted that the migrants being apprehended at the border are predominantly Muslims from Bangladesh, with no significant Hindu migration observed. “Every day, Assam Police detect 20 to 30 infiltrators, and similar numbers are observed in Tripura,” Sarma explained. He linked this migration surge to the economic fallout in Bangladesh, where the textile industry, which employed many from the majority community, has virtually collapsed.
He accused some Indian factory owners of encouraging this illegal migration by offering financial incentives for cheap labor. Sarma emphasized, “Once there was unrest in Bangladesh, the economy collapsed. Obviously, the majority community is affected more than the minority community in Bangladesh. In the textile industry too, most of the labourers were from the majority community.”
The issue was brought to the attention of the Union Home Ministry following discussions at the North East Council plenary held in Tripura in December. Sarma revealed that since August 2024, about 1,000 undocumented migrants have been detained and returned.
He further commented on the Hindu community in Bangladesh, suggesting that those who wished to migrate to India had likely done so decades ago, showing a sense of attachment to their homeland. “They must be patriotic Bangladeshis… Even after the tremendous atrocity, they do not want to come out of Bangladesh,” Sarma remarked, indicating that India should not encourage further migration from this group.
Post-Hasina’s removal, there have been reports of increased violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously urged Yunus to protect minorities, although Yunus claimed that such reports were exaggerated.