49 Bangladeshis deported by Odisha govt.; two jailed for securing passports fraudulently

Odisha has deported 49 Bangladesh nationals since the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power last year.

Responding to a query, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Odisha Legislative Assembly that of the 51 Bangladeshi nationals identified, 49 have been returned to their homeland.

The State police found 24 Bangladeshi nationals in Bhubaneswar, and 15 in Cuttack. Ganjam, Khordha and Koraput had six, three and one each.

Two Bangladeshi infiltrators (one from Ganjam and one from Khordha) had obtained Indian passports using forged documents under fake identities. Cases have been registered against them, and they have been sent to judicial custody, Mr. Majhi said. The search for Bangladeshi infiltrators is continuing.

The Odisha government has intensified the search for Bangladeshi nationals in different districts. Multiple arrests were made in Jagatsinghpur district of people who gave shelter to illegal Bangladeshi settlers.

Last year, the State government directed all district administrations to carry out a comprehensive identification drive to trace Bangladeshi intruders. Officials were instructed to form joint teams comprising personnel from block offices, tehsils, and police stations to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, following unrest in Bangladesh.

A reply tabled in the assembly says, 3,740 Bangladeshi nationals had been identified as staying illegally in the State, and their deportation was under consideration.

Of these, the highest number — 1,649 — was found in Kendrapara district, followed by 1,112 in Jagatsinghpur. Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts reported 655 and 106 illegal Bangladeshi residents, respectively. Intrusion by Bangladeshi nationals is believed to occur primarily via the sea route along Odisha’s eastern coastline.