576 Bangladeshis arrested this year for illegal stay

A problem that the special branch of Mumbai Police continues to face is that of tracing Bangladeshi nationals, who were arrested for illegal stay in Mumbai and later become untraceable again after securing bail from the magistrate’s court.

“Since they are from another country and live on rent, the task of finding them becomes even more difficult than finding criminals from India, who can be traced as they have a base here. Bangladeshis come out on bail, change their address and take up work in another city or district,” said a crime branch source. Prime Minister Modi had last year raised the issue of immigrants crossing over from Bangladesh and overstaying.

In 2014, around 418 Bangladeshis were arrested, out of which 286 were deported till October 6, while this year, around 576 have been arrested, out of which only 36 have been deported. The SB source did not clarify as to how many became untraceable again but did say securing bail for them is a big issue.

Bangladeshis have been arrested from Govandi, Shivaji nagar, Bangenwadi, Mankhurd, Bandra, Dongri, Reay road, Mazgaon in Mumbai and Bhayander, Mira road, Nalasopara, Vashi, Kopar, Nerul, Seawood, Mumbra, Kalwa and Kharghar in Thane and Navi Mumbai. Last month, the ATS busted a fake passport racket where four Bangladeshis had procured Indian passports at throwaway prices using forged documents in Narpoli.

SB sources however said the arrested were poor labourers who got work here as they came cheaper than Indian labourers. Some Bangladeshi women also got into the flesh trade. Nearly, a dozen agents who had brought these Bangladeshis have been arrested.