The Indian Army has apprehended a Bangladeshi national working as a civilian labourer at its Bengdubi military station near Siliguri after he was found possessing multiple Indian identity documents, officials said on Friday.
During a reverification drive of civilian staff at the military base, located near the strategically sensitive Chicken’s Neck corridor, the man was found carrying a Bangladeshi nationality identity card, along with an Aadhaar card, PAN card and voter ID, a Defence spokesperson said.
“The individual was handed over to police on Wednesday for further investigation,” the official added, noting that the Army’s intelligence units remain vigilant to counter potential security threats.
The Army termed the drive “proactive”, saying such checks will continue periodically to detect unauthorised personnel and fraudulent documentation.
“The incident highlights that many Bangladeshi nationals are in possession of Indian nationality documents made fraudulently and are using them to gain employment within the country,” the statement said.
In a separate case earlier this week, West Bengal Police arrested a Bangladeshi liberal blogger identified as Mufti Abdullah Hafij Al Masood from Nadia district for allegedly residing illegally without valid documents. His passport and visa had long expired, police said.
Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police have reported a spike in illegal immigrants attempting to cross back into Bangladesh in recent days.
While authorities have avoided linking the trend directly to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, police sources admitted the timing suggests a possible connection.
The BJP has seized on the incidents as evidence of large-scale infiltration in Bengal, calling the SIR necessary to identify and weed out illegal residents.
Police, however, said many of those returning had fled political unrest in Bangladesh in 2024 and are now going back as normalcy returns under Dhaka’s administration.
(With inputs from PTI)