Guwahati: A team of the All-Assam Students Union (AASU) has found that vast stretches of the India-Bangladesh border in the Dhubri, Karimganj and Cachar sectors were still open even though December 31, 2006, was the deadline fixed by the Centre and the Assam Government for completing the fencing work.

At a press conference here on Thursday, the AASU screened a short film, shot by its team during a visit to the border areas between March 29 and 31.

It showed that barbed wire fence had not been erected in all areas despite the assurances given by the Central and State Governments at a meeting on May 5 last.

The AASU team was led by Enamul Hoque, coordinator, International Border Affairs.

The AASU asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to visit the border areas to see for themselves the status of the fencing work.

It alleged that the State Government extended the deadline till March 31, but even then the work could not be finished.

The film showed that in the Dhubri sector, the fence had been damaged, and there was a human track across the boundary that suggested regular movement of people.

In the Barak valley in the Karimganj sector, the old fence had been dismantled on a 69 km-stretch from Lafasil to Churaibariand is now completely open.

Along the 35km-stretch of the Kushiara river, the border was open though the work was under progress. Boats were moored on the Bangladesh side of the river, which the AASU claimed were used to ferry illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

In the Cachar sector, there was no fence from border pillar no. 1341 at Natanpur to pillar no. 1355.

The AASU has decided to send compact discs of the film to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Chief Minister.

AASU adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya, president Shankar Prasad Rai and general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi alleged that no leader from either government was monitoring the progress of the fencing work despite their assurances at the tripartite meeting.

They demanded the immediate removal of Assam Accord Implementation Minister Bhumidhar Barman.

If the border with Pakistan could be sealed in just two years, why was the one with Bangladesh not sealed even 22 years after the signing of the Assam Accord, the AASU leaders wanted to know.

They threatened to launch a movement if steps were not taken for the immediate sealing of the border and if the Assam accord was not implemented in a time-bound manner.

The student body claimed that thousands of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and activists of Islamic fundamentalist forces were infiltrating into Assam through the porous border.

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