31 Bangladeshis held in city for illegally staying in India

GUWAHATI: Thirty-nine- year old Mohamed Suleman Sorrower goes to his home in Bangladesh after every three or four years. Suleman who has Indian Pan card, Aadhaar card and voter card and currently working in Bangalore goes to his birth place by paying money up to Rs 12,000 to brokers. He came to India with his parents about 22 years ago.

Salma (25) was planning to go her husband’s home in Bangladesh for the first time after coming to India nine years ago to see her ailing mother-in-law. She has also paid money to a broker to cross the international border to enter Bangladesh.

Forty-five years old Mohamed Dulal Mia who entered India illegally through a cave along the border fencing in West Bengal, has too paid Rs 10,000 to a broker to go to his home in the neighboring country. He entered India by allegedly bribing the BSF personnel guarding the India-Bangladesh border.

Suleman, Salma and Dulal Mia are among the group of 31 suspected Bangladeshi nationals apprehended by the Government Railway Police on Monday on charges of entering India illegally. The illegal Bangladeshis were detained when they were planning to board Kanchanjunga Express to go to Agartala on Monday morning. There were eight women and 13 children in the group. All of them were engaged in petty jobs in Bangalore and reached Guwahati Railway Station, Assam on Sunday night by the Bangalore Express to catch the train to Agartala in Tripura to cross the border and enter Bangladesh. The broker Farooq who took money from the group, managed to escape.

The development exposing unabated illegal influx from Bangladesh, has also busted a racket of facilitating Bangladeshis to enter India in exchange of money. The racket according to apprehended Bangladeshis is being run by a chain of brokers or dalals as well as a section of BSF personnel.

Suleman who claims to have cast his vote three to four times in elections held in Delhi, said he has all documents to prove his Indian citizenship. This time Suleman has paid money to a broker named Farooq to facilitate his journey to his birth place in Bangladesh.

According to Dulal Mia it is very easy to enter India through the international border in West Bengal and Tripura in exchange of money with brokers and a section of BSF personnel.

Salma who was apprehended along with her two twelve months old kid Hussain and seven year old son Hassan, said she got married to Jafar, another Bangladeshi during her stay in Bangalore.

GRP DSP Iftekar Ali said the apprehended persons have failed to produce any valid document to prove their Indian citizenship. “Documents submitted by the suspected nationals, will be verified. In initial interrogation they have confessed that they were originally from Bangladesh. They entered India through Tripura and West Bengal,” Ali said.

The GRP has registered a case 279/2018 under Sections 14 of Foreigners’ Act read with 4 of Passport Entry into India, 1920 Rule of 6 of Passport Entry into India, 1950.