Bangladeshis get fake passports for Rs 2 lakh in Assam

At a time when India’s war on terror is intensifying, a large number of Bangladeshi nationals are found to have been crossing over to Assam to procure fake Indian passports. A large number of suspected Bangladeshis are feared to have procured Indian passports using names, addresses and identity proof of genuine Indian citizens.

Pointing out that security agencies have documentary evidences about a racket flourishing in Nagaon, Karimganj, Hailakandi and Silchar districts of Assam, security sources told this newspaper that trend was alarming and requires an urgent attention of the state police which provides verification reports to the regional passport offices (RPO).

Investigation has revealed that the verification reports were sold for an amount ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh by a section of police officers. Security sources said that the racket came to light first when a youth working in a canteen of an IT company in Pune was caught by the Maharashtra police. Pointing out that the youth was a Bangladeshi national with an Indian passport, security sources said that arrested youth had also travelled to Pakistan and Saudi Arab on Indian passport.

In another case of fake passport in Karimganj district, the police has arrested 13 people, including a political leader, two teachers and Bangladeshi nationals, on charges of running a fake passport racket.

The arrested persons were identified as Selim Uddin, Kabir Uddin, Aftab Uddin Khan Choudhury, Matab Uddin, Moinul Hoque Choudhury, Sahajahan Ali, Bilal Ahmed Khan Choudhury, Badrul Mullah Mustafa and Manuwara Begum, a Congress leader and panchayat president of Binodini village, all residents of Karimganj district, and Sumon Ahmed, Dilwar Hussain, Sabbir Ahmed, and Sahid Ahmed, residents of Sylhet in Bangladesh. Security sources said that all the four arrested Bangladeshi nationals are very affluent businessmen.

Claiming that Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar to the Paris attack mastermind were found to have been using fake passports to unleash terror, security sources said that it was high time for the Assam government to launch detailed investigation into the verification reports issued by the state police in past few years.

Security sources said that these fake passports are suspected to have been procured in the name and identity proof of genuine Indian citizens living in remote areas, only photographs have been changed. Security sources said that demand of Indian passport was also high because some middle-east countries prefer to give job to Indians.