Meghalaya imposes 2-month night curfew along Indo-Bangladesh border

Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, the Indian state of Meghalaya has imposed a two-month-long night curfew along the India-Bangladesh border. The curfew has been enforced in East Khasi Hills district under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). It will remain effective within a one-kilometer radius from the zero line of the international border.

According to an order issued by East Khasi Hills District Magistrate RM Kurbah, the night curfew will be in effect daily from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM. It came into force on May 8, 2025, and will remain in place for two months. The curfew aims to prevent illegal border crossings, smuggling, and unlawful gatherings.

Prohibited activities under the order include gatherings of five or more people, movement with the intent of crossing the border, and carrying objects that can be used as weapons such as sticks, rods, and stones. The directive also targets the smuggling of cattle, betel nuts, betel leaves, dried fish, bidis, cigarettes, and tea leaves in the border region.

The curfew has been imposed with immediate effect, primarily in response to security concerns and the complex situation along the border.

It is worth noting that on April 22, a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, left 26 people dead. In retaliation, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” targeting terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Given the growing war-like atmosphere, the Meghalaya government has taken this preventive step.