Dozen Bangladeshi infiltrators sent to new holding centres in Bengal
The Statesman | 26 May 2026
A dozen Bangladeshi nationals were sent to two newly set up holding centres in West Bengal till Monday allegedly for entering the country without valid documents. The holding centres for temporarily housing identified infiltrators before their deportation to Bangladesh have come up in Lalgola and English Bazar in Murshdabad and Malda districts respectively. The infiltrators were sent to the two holding centres just 24 hours after the state government issued strict instructions to identify and deport illegal foreign nationals and infiltrators residing in West Bengal.
According to police and administrative sources, in Murshidabad district the three suspected infiltrators were detained from the Ranitala police station area on Monday. Officials said they failed to produce any valid documents permitting their stay in India. The detainees have been identified as Mohammad Selim, Mohammad Rubel, and Shariful Islam. According to Amlan Bhaduri, MLA of English Bazar, nine Bangladeshi nationals were identified and shifted to the facility on Sunday, where arrangements for food and basic necessities have also been made.
Bhaduri said in accordance with prevailing legal procedures, the identified individuals would eventually be handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for deportationrelated formalities. He added that the verification and identification process would continue across Malda. Traditionally, such infiltrators were sent directly to jail after arrest. However, following the latest guidelines, the administration has changed its line of approach.
Recently, the state Home Department sent a strict directive to all District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs), instructing them that illegal entrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar, including Rohingyas booked under the Foreigners Act, should no longer be kept in regular jails alongside ordinary prisoners. Instead, they must be identified, produced before the court, and then shifted directly to government-run holding centres or detention camps pending deportation. The BSF and district police are jointly gathering detailed information about the detainees to facilitate international legal coordination and expedite their deportation to Bangladesh