Three Bangladeshi arrested amid political unrest in B’desh
The Statesman | 10 July 2025
Amid ongoing political unrest and violence in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus, instances of illegal border crossings into India are reportedly on the rise, police said today.
Police authorities in Murshidabad arrested three Bangladeshi nationals in two separate incidents Tuesday for allegedly crossing the border illegally. One of them is a known leader of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League, police said. Last night, Nazrul Islam, a resident of Kacharipara village under Pabna Sadar police station in Bangladesh and a district council member of the Awami League, was detained near the Harirampur Ghat area by Ranitala police after he was seen moving suspiciously.
Following interrogation, Islam admitted he had entered India illegally via the Ranitala border. He was produced before the Lalbagh Sub-Divisional Court and remanded to five-day police custody. In a separate incident on Tuesday night, Lalbagh police arrested two more Bangladeshi nationals—Abdur Rakib and Kawsar Sheikh—from the residence of a local resident in the Panditpur area of Lalgola. Police said both men are from Chapainawabganj district in Bangladesh and had entered India illegally the same night. The homeowner, Jullu Rahman, was also arrested on charges of sheltering the infiltrators.
“We have arrested a Bangladeshi national from Pabna district for illegal entry. Two more were arrested by Lalgola police on Tuesday night,” said Raspreet Singh, additional superintendent of police, Lalbagh. A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said authorities have heightened surveillance along the India-Bangladesh border in response to the escalating crisis in Bangladesh, which has prompted an increasing number of people to flee into India.
“We are maintaining strict vigilance along the border. Anyone found entering illegally is being detained immediately. Smugglers are also being dealt with firmly,” the officer said. “Preliminary interrogation has yielded some important leads which are currently being verified,” said police.
Police suspect that local residents in Indian border villages are offering shelter to Bangladeshi infiltrators in exchange for money. Some of the illegal entrants are also believed to be staying with relatives in India. India shares a 4,096-kilometre-long border with Bangladesh, of which West Bengal accounts for over 2,200 kilometres. Security along this stretch has historically been a challenge, particularly during periods of political instability in Bangladesh.