Around 100 Undocumented Bangladeshi Immigrants Gather Near BSF Check Post In North 24 Parganas

Authorities in West Bengal reported a new build-up of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants near the Border Security Force’s Hakimpur check post in North 24 Parganas. By Tuesday evening, people had gathered close to the crossing point, apparently preparing to re-enter Bangladesh, after government orders to step up action against undocumented residents in the state.

The development follows a directive from the newly elected BJP government in West Bengal asking district magistrates to create holding centres for undocumented immigrants before deportation. The move is tied to the government’s campaign pledge to “detect, delete and deport” illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas from the state’s voter and resident rolls.

Government stance on undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari reiterated that people identified as Bangladeshi nationals should not remain in India. Adhikari said, “They should leave. They are Bangladeshis. Their government should accept them. We have instructed the police that they shouldn’t be sent to jails. Are they our in-laws that the country would have to pay for their food, clothes and medicines? Leave at the earliest. Else the government would do what needs to be done.”

According to officials, Adhikari has asked police units to locate undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants, detain those identified, and hand them over to the BSF for deportation procedures. Adhikari shared this direction with reporters after an administrative meeting in Nadia district, where officials reviewed law-and-order and border management issues.

Hakimpur check post gathering of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants

Basirhat district police officers said the latest group near Hakimpur reached about 100 people by Tuesday evening. A senior officer told HT that numbers were lower than an earlier episode. “The first wave was much bigger. Back then thousands had gathered. The second wave started on Tuesday. Till now, we have reports of only around one hundred Bangladeshis who have gathered outside the BSF check post,” the officer said.

People waiting near the crossing told local media they had been living and working in different parts of West Bengal for several years. One person said, “I had come two years back. I used to stay at Dum Dum Cantonment. I came from Satkhira district in Bangladesh. If the government wants us to leave, what can we do? That's why I am leaving,” and did not share a name.

Personal accounts of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants

Another person, Salim Gaji from Satkhira, said, “I used to work as a mason in Barasat. I crossed over to India paying money to touts around two years back. I don't have any documents. The government is pressuring us to leave. That's why I am leaving.” A third person, 48-year-old Nusrat Bibi from Jessore, said, “We had come to India a few years back. My husband used to work as a mason. Now we are going back. The government would have anyhow sent us back had they caught us.”

Security personnel said this is the second notable concentration of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants at the Hakimpur crossing point. In November 2025, thousands reportedly assembled at the same location after West Bengal launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which included closer checks on voter lists and residency documents across border districts.

Border trends involving undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants

A BSF official from the South Bengal Frontier said that movement towards the border had risen noticeably in November, then reduced earlier in 2026, and again increased during the past two days. An ANI photograph from Basirhat showed a crowd gathered near the Hakimpur check post, with people carrying bags as they waited close to the guarded border gates.

Officials said the current build-up near Hakimpur reflects the combined effect of stricter verification drives, new orders on holding centres, and public statements from the state leadership. With more people now choosing to move back towards Bangladesh, agencies such as the BSF and district police are focusing on managing border crossings and processing undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants under existing rules.