49 Bangladeshi Nationals Repatriated from Odisha Following Crackdown: CM
Two others were found using forged passports, and criminal cases have been registered against them.
Bhubaneswar: Odisha has repatriated 49 Bangladeshi nationals following a statewide crackdown on illegal foreign residents, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Legislative Assembly on Monday. The drive, launched after the formation of the BJP-led government, has so far identified 51 Bangladeshi citizens staying illegally in different parts of the State.
According to the written statement tabled by the Chief Minister, KhUrda district reported the highest number of detections at 24, followed by 15 in Cuttack, six in Ganjam, three in Kandhamal and one in Koraput.
“All 49 identified Bangladeshi nationals have already been repatriated,” Majhi stated. Two others were found using forged passports, and criminal cases have been registered against them.
Majhi further said that the state government has constituted a dedicated task committee to oversee the identification, detention and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi residents. District Superintendents of Police have been instructed to intensify surveillance, conduct background checks and strengthen verification mechanisms across vulnerable pockets of Odisha.
The state currently operates 18 district-level detention centres and two state-level centres for processing such cases. Of the 1,768 individuals whose documents have been verified so far, 51 were confirmed as illegal Bangladeshi residents. Verification of documents for another 50 suspects is underway.
Officials are also using a special mobile application to support real-time identification of potential infiltrators. Senior intelligence officers have been carrying out field inspections in districts considered sensitive to cross-border movement.
The issue gained renewed attention last month after the arrest of a suspected Bangladeshi national in neighbouring Jagatsinghpur triggered tension in parts of coastal Kendrapara. On November 17, the Kendrapara police intensified checking drives across Duhuria, Garapur, Rajkanika, Pattamundai, Rajnagar and Mahakalpada.
“We are conducting thorough checks of cars and buses at Garapur Chhak and Duhuria Chhak, following the directives of the SP and the Sadar Police Station IIC,” Sub-Inspector Sibaram Swain had said during the operation.
