48 Bangladeshi nationals detained while attempting illegal border crossing in West Bengal

West Bengal: In a major security operation, 48 Bangladeshi nationals attempting to illegally cross the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Bashirhat area of North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, were detained by the Border Security Force (BSF) over the weekend, senior police officials confirmed on Sunday.

According to a BSF officer, the infiltration attempts coincided with the Election Commission’s announcement of a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the voter list in West Bengal. “Many of those detained were trying to leave India fearing detection during door-to-door voter verification drives,” the officer said.

BSF sources revealed that 15 individuals were caught on Saturday night and another 33 on Sunday morning. All detainees have been handed over to the Swarupnagar police station for further legal procedures.

Officials said the group had been working in various states, including West Bengal, as daily-wage laborers and domestic helpers. However, fearing arrest or deportation during the voter list verification process, they attempted to flee to Bangladesh through the Bashirhat border route.

“In the past three days alone, 89 Bangladeshi nationals attempting to exit India through the same stretch have been apprehended and turned over to local police,” an officer added, highlighting the scale of illegal migration activity in the region.

The incident underscores the heightened border vigilance ahead of the upcoming elections and the continuing challenge of managing illegal migration between India and Bangladesh.

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