Odisha Police STF Nabs 10 Bangladeshis In Bhubaneswar, Identifies 3,740 Illegal Immigrants For Deportation

In a continued effort to curb illegal immigration, the Odisha Police Special Task Force (STF) has arrested ten Bangladeshi nationals, including a juvenile, who had entered India through Assam’s Dhubri border and intended to settle in Bhubaneswar permanently, reported The Hindu.

Acting on intelligence inputs, the STF conducted a search operation at Bhubaneswar Railway Station, where they apprehended six men, three women, and a minor. 

Upon interrogation, the detained individuals admitted to being Bangladeshi citizens from the Mymensingh, Bagerhat, Prispur, and Dhaka districts.

Authorities recovered seven mobile phones, Bangladeshi currency notes, and Indian rupees from the arrested individuals. 

They lacked valid passports, visas, or any legal documentation, leading to their arrest under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act 1946. The accused were later remanded to judicial custody.

This incident comes amid a larger state-wide effort to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Following unrest in Bangladesh, the Odisha government had instructed all district authorities to conduct thorough identification drives, forming specialised teams comprising block, tehsil, and police officials.

According to official records presented in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, authorities have identified 3,740 illegal Bangladeshi nationals across the state, with their deportation under consideration.

Among the 3,740 illegal Bangladeshi settlers, the highest numbers are concentrated in (i) Kendrapara – 1,649, (ii) Jagatsinghpur – 1,112, (iii) Malkangiri – 655, and (iv) Nabarangpur – 106. 

Most illegal immigrants enter Odisha via sea routes along the eastern border, making coastal districts particularly vulnerable.

Migration from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to Odisha and Madhya Pradesh dates back to post-Independence resettlement programs, when thousands of Bengali-speaking Hindus were rehabilitated with agricultural and homestead land.

Today, 1,57,432 Bangladeshi settlers legally reside in Odisha, with the highest numbers in (i) Malkangiri – 1,04,233, (ii) Nabarangpur – 46,848, and (iii) Koraput – 4,653.