Days after coming to power, the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal has announced immediate action against illegal immigrants, mostly from Bangladesh. The CM has announced the Detect, Delete, Deport policy to tackle the issue, and the administration has already started identifying Bangladeshis living illegally in the state. Amid this, several Bangladeshi infiltrators have admitted that local workers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) assisted them in procuring Indian identity documents, including voter cards, ration cards, and Aadhaar cards, enabling them to avail government welfare schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar.
After the “3D Policy” was announced by the BJP govt, a large number of Bangladeshis have gathered at Hakimpur Border in North 24 Parganas, to return to Bangladesh. The illegal infiltrators carrying with their bag and baggage have started gathering at the BSF check post at Hakimpur under the Bashirhat subdivision. Hundreds of such Bangladeshis are waiting for BSF to complete the formalities so that they can cross the border and go back to Bangladesh.
ABP Ananda talked to several such immigrants who expressed their intent to return to Bangladesh following the new state government’s zero-tolerance policy towards illegal immigration. Many of them admitted to having lived in West Bengal for 10 to 40 years using forged or facilitated documents. They said that TMC workers helped them in obtaining the documents including aadhar and voter cards, and added that they were instructed to vote for Trinamool in elections.
One woman stated that TMC worker helped create voter cards and arranged ration supplies for them. When asked whether she had got documents made, she said yes, and when asked who helped, she replies that people from Mamata Didi’s party arranged everything. She said that apart from getting ration card, voting card, she was also enrolled in the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, under which she received ₹500 per month for 2 to 3 years.
Another woman, who have been living in West Bengal for 20 years, said that her Aadhaar card and ration card were made in a school, while her voter card was made online. She added that Trinamool Congress workers got the documents made for her. The woman added that the party workers told her to vote for TMC in the elections. She also confirmed that TMC workers got her enrolled into the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, and she had been receiving money since then.
When the reporter asked a man how he has been living in West Bengal, he said that when Trinamool Congress was in power, nobody would say anything. He said, “Now that the government has changed, people have gone after them (Bangladeshis). Landlords are also afraid that if they keep Bangladeshis, they will be fined ₹2 lakh, jailed for 2 year. Landlords are scared now.”
He man admitted that he voted once, after his voter card was made online. He said that he used to get ration and gas, and his wife got Lakshmir Bhandar benefits. He added that after he voted, a new govt came to power and ordered scrutiny of documents, and that’s why they have decided to go back to Bangladesh.
When asked how they came to India, the man said that he came at the age of 10 years with is parents. The man added that he worked as a soil digger, and earned his livelihood on his own, didn’t receive any other help from anyone.
Another man repeated the same, saying, “we would work on our own, we would eat ourselves.” He said that he didn’t have a voter card, but he got Aadhar card, PAN card, and ration card made online. When asked how he lived illegally for so many years, the man claimed that he arranged everything himself, and nobody helped.
The man said that his parents were Bangladeshis, but he is not as he was born in India. He said that he has been identified as Bangladeshi because his parents came from Bangladesh illegally.
Another woman said that she was brought to India by her parents around 40 years, ago, when she was a child. She also confirmed that she has all the documents, and was receiving ration, Lakshmir Bhandar benefits and gas.
ABP Ananda journalist Samiran Paul added at the end of the report that they had all the official documents, i.e. Indian identity cards, and everyone is alleging that they were helped by the then ruling party leaders. The Bangladeshi infiltrators used to live illegally in rented houses, get government documents and government facilities. From ration cards to Laxmi Bhandar, these Bengali foreign infiltrators had access to everything.
However, now with the change in the government, they have realised that their days in India are coming to an end, and they themselves have rushed to the border to go back. People from various places in West Bengal, like Khulna, Jessore, and Kushtia, have gathered at the Indo-Bangla border at Hakimpur, awaiting to return. Many arrived in India years ago and had integrated into local economies, often working as daily wage labourers while availing state benefits.
They are now eager to leave India as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and stricter verification processes have made their stay untenable. Landlords in the area have also grown wary, fearing penalties for harbouring illegal immigrants.
This is the result of the “Detect, Delete, and Deport” drive launched by the government against illegal infiltrators. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed that detained Bangladeshi nationals be handed over directly to the Border Security Force (BSF) for deportation rather than being produced in courts, in line with updated protocols.
The state has also directed all the districts to set up holding centres to keep illegal immigrants awaiting deportation
The statements by Bangladeshis returning to their country confirm the allegations against Trinamool Congress, that the party actively aided illegal immigrants in getting Indian identity documents, gave them govt benefits funded by taxpayers money, and got them to vote for the party in elections.
