Holding centre count climbs to 11, house over 386 detainees

Kolkata: The number of holding centres set up across Bengal to house suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators has risen to 11 within barely a week of the first such facilities coming up in Malda and Murshidabad amid an intensified statewide crackdown on undocumented cross-border movement.These centres currently house about 386 Bangladeshi nationals, with the highest concentration — about 335 detainees — in three new facilities under Basirhat police district in North 24 Parganas, sources said. The three holding centres at Tetulia, Charghat and Media under Basirhat subdivision became operational only on Tuesday. Many of those housed here are illegal Bangladeshis who had gathered near Hakimpur check post in Swarupnagar.Officials said the detainees are being provided food, medical care and essential amenities while verification of their nationality is on.The rapid expansion of the holding-centre network follows heightened surveillance and identity-verification drives across Bengal's border districts. Basirhat and Bongaon police districts bordering Bangladesh have together got five holding centres. "Most of these people entered illegally 5-10 years ago while some crossed the border about seven to eight months back. Although many allegedly procured PAN cards, Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards by paying bribes, they approached Border Security Force ere carrying only identity documents issued by the Bangladesh government," a senior district official said.Discussions between BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh are on regarding verification and deportation procedures. "Until their Bangladeshi citizenship is officially verified, the infiltrators will be kept at the holding centres. Thereafter, they will be deported to Bangladesh in phases," a senior BSF official said.In Bongaon subdivision, authorities have started converting an unused govt building near Petrapole border into another holding centre — restoration of electricity and drinking water began on Thursday — while another building near Petrapole railway station has also been identified for the purpose. Infiltrators detained from Gaighata, Bongaon and Bagda are to be housed here. Search operations have simultaneously intensified across Habra, Ashoknagar, Kalyangarh, Bongaon and Gaighata. Around 25 suspected infiltrators from the Habra-Ashoknagar belt have already been shifted to the Basirhat facilities.Most of those detained claimed agents facilitated their border crossings by exploiting gaps in BSF patrol patterns. "The agents charged anything between Rs 7,000 and Rs 20,000 per person," one detainee said. Another detainee, originally from Pabna, said that agents closely monitor BSF movement timings before facilitating crossings. "In some places, when jawans move from one point to another and return, there is a gap of around 10 minutes. The infiltrators hide during patrols and cross quickly once the jawans move away," he claimed. Once in India, the infiltrators procured forged documents and started working as masons, daily wage labourers and domestic workers in different parts of Bengal.Mohammad Akhtar Gazi, who claimed to be from Khulna, said he had entered India around eight years ago through Ghojadanga border with the help of an agent. "I rented a house in Shimulia in Hasnabad and worked as a mason. During SIR, my name and those of four members of my family were struck off. The state govt has asked us to leave, so we have no option but to return home," he said.The crackdown has spread to Nadia district as well. A temporary holding centre has been set up at Bhimpur in Krishnanagar-I block, where a Bangladeshi national is currently being kept under CCTV surveillance. Officials said a larger community hall in the area will soon be converted into a permanent holding facility after renovation.In Murshidabad's Bhagawangola, cops intercepted three more alleged Bangladeshi nationals on Thursday and sent them to the Lalgola holding centre, taking the number of detainees at the facility to 24 within a week. Another facility at Swarupnagar market complex in Bhagawangola-I block is being readied for women and minors .