In the first seven days after opening holding centres across the state, the West Bengal administration has so far apprehended around 400 alleged Bangladeshi citizens for deportation.
According to the state administration, the highest number of detentions are from the Basirhat police district, where 335 alleged undocumented immigrants have been detained. The detainees here have been kept in Tentulghati, Pathorshati, Charghat and Subhashnagar flood centres.
Apart from Basirhat, alleged Bangladeshi immigrants have also been detained in Malda, Murshidabad and South Dinajpur districts. It has also been learnt that the detainees are being kept in police districts such as Baruipur, Barasat, Cooch Behar, Jangipur, Krishnanagar and Bongaon. The state administration has further tightened security and surveillance at all the holding centres here. According to sources, the district administrations concerned have also been given special instructions to ensure that the detention and deportation process is completed swiftly and smoothly.
Sources said that the holding centres are being continuously monitored and additional police have been deployed to maintain law and order there.
Meanwhile, four labourers from Kerala are among the Bangladeshi immigrants who came to the Hakimpur border outpost on May 26. They came here in a bid to return home, but were sent to a detention centre in North 24 Parganas district.
Speaking over the phone, Motleb Hossain, one of the four youths, said, “Our biometrics were done yesterday. They took our fingerprints and other information. The BSF officials also interrogated us and took all details of how we entered India and where we worked and stayed. We told them everything.”
Another youth, Fahim Malida said they were being provided with proper food at the centre. “But we want to return home. We have been told that soon we will be sent back to Bangladesh.” The group had crossed into India about eight months ago with help of a tout.
“The tout who helped us cross took Rs 7,000 per head,” said Malida. From there, they took a bus to Kerala where they worked as a mason on a daily wage of Rs 1,000. “The trouble started after polls. They (landlords) wanted Aadhar cards to allow us to stay. We didn’t have that, so we decided to return. An Indian tout promised a safe return… Later, he brought us to check post and suddenly left. We had given him Rs 10,000 per head,” Malida added.