12 Suspected Bangladeshi Infiltrators Lodged In Bengal Holding Centres, CM Urges Swift Deportation

Last Updated:May 26, 2026, 17:35 IST

The Bengal government announced the establishment of "holding centres" to detain and deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas.

At least 12 suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators have been lodged in newly created ‘holding centres’ in West Bengal’s Malda and Murshidabad districts, according to officials.

Malda became the first district in the state on Monday to set up a ‘holding centre’ under the new BJP government, where nine suspected Bangladeshis have been lodged. The facility, set up at Chandan Park in English Bazar, is currently housing nine suspected Bangladeshi nationals, including three women and six minors, who were brought from Gazole’s Pandua area under tight security arrangements.

A senior police officer told news agency PTI that a holding centre in Murshidabad is now operational, with three Bangladeshi nationals currently lodged at the facility under tight security. The officer said the trio crossed the border illegally and stayed in Lalgola, before they were arrested on Sunday and moved to the holding centre. Details of the detainees have already been communicated to the home department.

The Murshidabad holding centre has been set up on the third floor of the ‘Padma Bhavan’, adjacent to the Bahadurpur panchayat office.

Earlier, the West Bengal government directed all District Magistrates to establish “holding centres" to detain illegal foreigners and foreign-origin prisoners released from jail who are awaiting deportation or repatriation.

The instruction specifically mentions deportation procedures related to illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas staying in India and states that the move is in line with MHA guidelines.

Bengal CM Urges Swift Deportation

West Bengal’s anti-infiltration drive has reportedly triggered a fresh “reverse exodus" through the international border, with scores of alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators gathering at the Hakimpur checkpoint in North 24 Parganas seeking to return home.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday urged authorities to deport a large number of alleged illegal Bangladeshi nationals who had gathered at the checkpoint in Basirhat.

Speaking to reporters after an administrative meeting, Adhikari claimed that the people assembled at the border point were willing to return to Bangladesh. “We do not want to feed them in jails or waste public money on them. This is actually harming the Indians, especially in West Bengal. The law was there, but was not utilised by a few people for vote bank. We will go beyond vote bank and implement this for the sake of the country and the state," he said.

This came after he announced that Bangladeshi infiltrators detained in the state would now be directly handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for deportation instead of being produced before courts under a newly implemented system.

(with inputs from agencies)

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