Over 250 Bangladeshi tribal, mostly Buddhists and Hindus, have fled their villages along the international border and crossed over to Tripura, seeking refuge after ethnic clashes with non-tribal Muslims in their country.
The Chakma and Tripuri tribes left their villages in Khagrachari district of Bangladesh and took shelter in northern Tripura's Gandachara area on Thursday.
The tribals fled the Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeast Bangladesh after ethnic clashes.
Efforts are being made by the state government to repatriate Bangladeshi tribal. The refugees said due to the violence in the region they were forced to leave their homes and migrate to India.
"They wanted to kill us, put fire in our houses and destroy our property. So left everything including our cloths, cattle, pigs and came here," said Urmi Chakma.
The exact reason for the violence has not been identified yet, said authorities.
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Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar said the tribals from Chittagong Hill Track of Bangladesh have taken shelter in the state after worsening of law and order situation in their villages.
"Yesterday, through Gandacherra's Raishyabari police station area, Bangladesh people from South and North Baguai Haat under Dighinala police station of Khagrachari district around 250 people of Chakma and Tripuri community entered our territory as that location doesn't have barbed wire fencing. They viewed that in the areas they have some threat and are attacked and hence they were compelled to come here," he said.
District Magistrate officials are collecting information about the families, who have crossed over at
Indo-Bangladesh border. The officials said the paramilitary, Border Security Force (BSF) had informed their headquarters in New Delhi and is coordinating on the matter with the Border Guards of Bangladesh.
Tension was running high at Khagracherri in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts following skirmish
between members of the United Democratic Front and Bangladesh Border Guards which led to migrations of Bangla nationals on Indian soil.
Vigil was intensified along the unfenced Indo-Bangla border by the BSF. Tripura shares 856-km border with Bangladesh which is porous because it extends over mountains that are densely forested.