Two migrant workers from South Dinajpur, who spent around six months in jail in Maharashtra's Thane on suspicion of being Bangladeshi infiltrators, returned home on Monday.

The Trinamool Congress leadership was instrumental in facilitating their release on bail.

After being released on bail, migrant workers Asit Sarkar and Gautam Barman headed for Calcutta. On Sunday evening, Abhishek met them at his office in Camac Street.

“He listened to their accounts of the incident and assured them of continued legal support. He also advised them against going outside Bengal for work in the future,” said a source.

From Calcutta, Ambarish Sarkar, the South Dinajpur district youth Trinamool president, escorted the duo to their homes, where they reached on Monday morning.

“My family approached every possible authority for help. I was released only because of Abhishek Banerjee’s intervention. Otherwise, I would have remained in jail. I am grateful to him,” said Asit.

In June this year, Asit, a resident of Lakshmipur in Balurghat block, and Gautam of Pulindar in Gangarampur block, were arrested by the Maharashtra police on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.

Asit said he had been a migrant worker for the past 18–19 years.

“I used to work with an imitation jewellery firm in the Sonale area of Bhiwandi in Thane district of Maharashtra. Earlier this year, as the police in different states launched a crackdown against illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, they arrested my colleague Gautam and me on suspicion of being Bangladeshis. We gave them every document possible, but were still sent to jail,” he said.

The duo, who are from the district of Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar, were languishing behind bars while their families were running from pillar to post to get them released.

“We approached BJP leaders and met administrative officials. But there was no change in the situation,” said Asit's relative who did not want to be named.

In due course, district Trinamool leaders came to know about the issue. They met both families and informed state leaders, including the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

“Our party took the initiative to facilitate their release as both are Indian citizens. The BJP did not support them. Eventually, both were released on bail on Saturday,” said Sarkar, the Trinamool youth president of South Dinajpur. “This is yet another glaring example of how Bengali-speaking migrant workers are being harassed and tortured in the BJP-ruled states. They were arrested only because they speak Bengali,” he added.

Trinamool also shared the news on its social media.

“Abhishek Banerjee met Asit Sarkar and Gautam Barman, who are migrant workers and are from the Lok Sabha constituency area of Sukanta Majumdar. They were arrested in Bhiwandi only for being Bengali-speaking people. Both of them have their names in the draft electoral roll. Though Gautam Barman’s wife sought help from Sukanta Majumdar, he remained silent and did not take any step,” Trinamool posted in its official Facebook account.

“Abhishek Banerjee and Trinamool Congress, however, stood by them,” said the post.

In South Dinajpur, Trinamool and BJP had won three seats each at the 2021 Assembly elections. In 2024, Majumdar had won from the Balurghat Lok Sabha seat for the second time.

“Trinamool will definitely highlight the release of these two workers while trying to prove that the BJP leadership was silent and did not help the families,” said an observer.

The BJP leadership in South Dinajpur, however, credited the release of the workers to Majumdar's "efforts". “These two migrant workers have been released only because of the efforts of Sukanta Majumdar. Trinamool wants to take undue credit,” said Bapi Sarkar, a BJP district general secretary.