Kolkata15 minutes agoAuthor: Ajay Prakash
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These days, a crowd of Bangladeshi citizens living illegally in India is gathering at Hakimpur check post in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. These people are expressing their desire to return to Bangladesh by revealing their identity.
However, instead of sending them directly across the border, the Border Security Force (BSF) is taking biometric and other identity cards and sending them to holding centers set up in Bengal. A verification desk has been set up at Hakimpur check post, where around 200 to 300 people are coming every day for verification.
Many of these people came to India illegally years ago and are now worried about their future amid the changing circumstances. Many have Indian documents, but not Bangladeshi identity papers.
According to Mohar Mandal, president of the local organization ‘Bhukha Manuser Adhikar Abhiyan’, most of the people coming for verification belong to six districts of Bangladesh and had once come to India illegally.
Mohammad Akhtar Shaikh, living in Mumbai, said that he came to India from Bangladesh 22 years ago. He has an Indian Aadhaar card, but no documents from Bangladesh. They fear that now they will neither be able to live with their children nor go to Bangladesh.
At the same time, Islam Sardar, who lives in Delhi, said that his biggest fear is what will be his future if both India and Bangladesh do not accept him.
On the instructions of the Home Ministry, 11 holding centers have been created in West Bengal. A hotel in Tetulia in North 24 Parganas district has also been converted into a holding centre. Here food, health services and basic facilities for children are being provided to illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) has accused the BSF of trying to push-in illegal Bangladeshis into the border. BGB claims to have foiled 10 such attempts in the last 24 hours. Bangladesh has also increased border patrolling and the number of soldiers.
Bangladesh has taken a tough stance on the issue after it was reported that 386 suspected illegal immigrants were detained by West Bengal agencies on May 29. Bangladesh’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam had also warned that any attempt to unilaterally push anyone across the border could increase tension.
A BSF officer, on condition of anonymity, said that for the first time such a situation has arisen when there is no need to search for illegal immigrants. People are reaching the border posts to get themselves verified and register their identity. According to the official, there are long queues of people from morning till evening and the verification process is taking a lot of time.
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