The number of holding centres established across West Bengal to house suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators has increased to 11 within a week of the first such facilities being set up in Malda and Murshidabad. This expansion comes amid an intensified statewide crackdown on undocumented cross-border movement.
Current Status of Detainees
These centres currently accommodate approximately 386 Bangladeshi nationals, with the highest concentration of about 335 detainees located in three new facilities under the Basirhat police district in North 24 Parganas, according to sources. The three holding centres at Tetulia, Charghat, and Media in Basirhat subdivision became operational on Tuesday. Many of those housed here are illegal Bangladeshis who had gathered near the Hakimpur check post in Swarupnagar.
Officials have stated that the detainees are being provided with food, medical care, and essential amenities while verification of their nationality is ongoing.
Rapid Expansion of Holding Centres
The swift expansion of the holding-centre network follows heightened surveillance and identity-verification drives across Bengal's border districts. Basirhat and Bongaon police districts, which border Bangladesh, together now have five holding centres. A senior district official noted that most of these people entered illegally 5 to 10 years ago, while some crossed the border about seven to eight months back. Although many allegedly procured PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, and voter identity cards by paying bribes, they approached the Border Security Force carrying only identity documents issued by the Bangladesh government.
Verification and Deportation Procedures
Discussions between the BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh are ongoing regarding verification and deportation procedures. A senior BSF official stated that until their Bangladeshi citizenship is officially verified, the infiltrators will be kept at the holding centres. Thereafter, they will be deported to Bangladesh in phases.
In Bongaon subdivision, authorities have started converting an unused government building near the Petrapole border into another holding centre. Restoration of electricity and drinking water began on Thursday, and another building near Petrapole railway station has also been identified for the same purpose. Infiltrators detained from Gaighata, Bongaon, and Bagda are to be housed there. Search operations have simultaneously intensified across Habra, Ashoknagar, Kalyangarh, Bongaon, and Gaighata. Around 25 suspected infiltrators from the Habra-Ashoknagar belt have already been shifted to the Basirhat facilities.
Detainees' Accounts
Most of those detained claimed that agents facilitated their border crossings by exploiting gaps in BSF patrol patterns. One detainee reported that agents charged between Rs 7,000 and Rs 20,000 per person. Another detainee, originally from Pabna, said that agents closely monitor BSF movement timings before facilitating crossings. He claimed that in some places, when jawans move from one point to another and return, there is a gap of around 10 minutes. The infiltrators hide during patrols and cross quickly once the jawans move away. Once in India, the infiltrators procured forged documents and started working as masons, daily wage labourers, and domestic workers in different parts of Bengal.
Mohammad Akhtar Gazi, who claimed to be from Khulna, said he entered India about eight years ago through the Ghojadanga border with the help of an agent. He rented a house in Shimulia in Hasnabad and worked as a mason. During the SIR (Special Investigation Report), his name and those of four family members were struck off. He stated that the state government has asked them to leave, so they have no option but to return home.
Expansion to Other Districts
The crackdown has spread to Nadia district as well. A temporary holding centre has been set up at Bhimpur in Krishnanagar-I block, where a Bangladeshi national is currently being kept under CCTV surveillance. Officials said that a larger community hall in the area will soon be converted into a permanent holding facility after renovation.
In Murshidabad's Bhagawangola, police intercepted three more alleged Bangladeshi nationals on Thursday and sent them to the Lalgola holding centre, taking the number of detainees at the facility to 24 within a week. Another facility at the Swarupnagar market complex in Bhagawangola-I block is being readied for women and minors.
