Kathmandu, 20 July (H.S.): Security agencies in Nepal have stepped up vigilance after nine Islamic clerics from Bangladesh arrived in Kathmandu, although no official information has been released regarding the purpose of their visit or their scheduled activities during their stay.

According to the Immigration Department at Tribhuvan International Airport, the nine Bangladeshi Islamic clerics arrived in Nepal on Sunday night at around 9 pm on Batik Air’s OD-182 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu. All of them obtained tourist visas valid for 30 days.

The Immigration Department said that the clerics are expected to stay in Nepal for around two weeks. The visiting Islamic scholars include Mohammad Akkas Ali, Aminul Islam, Mohammad Mustafizar Rahman, Mohammad Golam Mostofa, Mohammad Moklasur Rahman, AKM Moniruzzaman Lawalu, Syed Shaukat Ali, Mohammad Monsur Rahman and Mohammad Anisur Rahman.

A senior officer from Nepal Police’s counter-terrorism unit said that the Special Bureau is monitoring their activities as they arrived unexpectedly without any publicly announced programme.

Nepal’s security agencies have expressed concerns that the open border between Nepal and India could potentially be misused for unauthorised movement. As a precautionary measure, security forces in all border districts have been placed on alert.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar