A petition filed in the Calcutta High Court on 31 December 2024, by Rehana Sultana, a resident of Chanchal, Malda, West Bengal, has brought attention to alleged illegal immigration by Bangladeshi nationals. The petition claimed that Lovely Khatun, the head of the Rashidabad village panchayat and a member of the TMC party, is actually a Bangladeshi immigrant named Nasia Sheikh. According to the petition, she entered India illegally without a passport and has been residing with forged documents. In response, the Calcutta High Court has directed the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) to submit a reply regarding the allegations.
This case is one of several significant incidents reported. Here we share a list of 15 such incidents between 2021 and 2024 involving illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who have lived in India for extended periods using fake documentation.
#1 Intruder Becomes Village Head In West Bengal
On 31 December 2024, a petition filed in the Calcutta High Court by Rehana Sultana, a resident of Chanchal, Malda, West Bengal, alleged that the village panchayat head of Rashidabad, Lovely Khatun, is a Bangladeshi immigrant. The petitioner claimed that Khatun, whose real name is Nasia Sheikh, entered India illegally without a passport. Further accusations include fabricating documents by listing a person from a neighboring village as her father. Khatun, a TMC party member, is now under investigation following the court’s directive to the SDO for a detailed response.
#2 Family Settles Illegally In Delhi
On 30 December 2024, Sarojini Nagar police in South Delhi arrested Bangladeshi citizen Mohammad Akhtar Sheikh. Sheikh, who had been working as a laborer, initially claimed to be from West Bengal. Upon verification, he admitted to being from Madarganj, Kochaghatta, in Bangladesh. He illegally entered India in 2004, later marrying a Hindu woman in West Bengal, and settled in Delhi with his family.
#3 34 Years Of Illegal Stay In Mumbai
On 22 December 2024, Mumbai’s Parade police arrested Mohin Hayat Badshah Sheikh, a 51-year-old Bangladeshi infiltrator who had been living in Mumbai since 1990. Entering Maharashtra illegally at the age of 17, Sheikh initially worked in a hotel before becoming an Urdu and Quran teacher in areas like Mumbra, Kurla, Govandi, and Parel. He also managed to vote in both Lok Sabha and state elections during his illegal stay.
#4 Illegal Stay And Family Settlement In Jaipur
On 6 December 2024, Jaipur Police, with assistance from the BSF, deported 11 Bangladeshi citizens living illegally in India. Among them, Sohga Khan had entered India 20 years ago. He managed to acquire fake Aadhaar and PAN cards, buy a flat in Jaisinghpura, and settle down. Sohga also married off his daughter to a Jaipur resident named Usman. The case highlights the ease with which infiltrators have integrated into local communities over time.
#5 Bangladeshi Infiltrators Linked to Terror Activities in Mumbai
On 28 November 2024, an NIA special court sentenced three Bangladeshi infiltrators to five years in prison for aiding terrorists from Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based terror group linked to Al-Qaeda. The accused, identified as Mohammed Habibur Rahman Habib, Hannan Anwar Hossain Khan, and Mohammed Azharali Subhanallah, were found guilty of harboring terrorists. Investigations revealed that they had used fake identities to acquire Indian documents, including PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, Voter IDs, and ration cards, facilitating their illegal stay and activities in the country.
#6 Buddhist Monk Living Illegally In Gaya For Years
On 19 October 2024, Bihar Police arrested Babu Joe Barua, also known as Rajeev Dutta, a Bangladeshi citizen who had been residing in India as a Buddhist monk for eight years without valid documents. Barua, originally from Cox’s Bazar, was detained at Gaya Airport while attempting to flee to Thailand. Multiple passports with different identities were recovered from him, exposing the extent of his forged credentials.
#7 16 Years of Illegal Stay and Voting in Assam
On 15 October 2024, South Salmara-Mankachar police in Assam arrested Mijanur, a Bangladeshi national who had been living in India since 2007. Entering without documents, Mijanur settled in Bhurkata village under the shelter of a local resident. Over time, he managed to register himself as a voter in the Mankachar constituency, actively participating in Indian elections despite his illegal status.
#8 Five Years of Hidden Identity in Bihar
On 5 October 2024, Araria police detained Hakim, also known as Nawab, a Bangladeshi citizen who had been living under a false identity in Marangi Tola Ward No. 11. Originally from Chapai Nawabganj, Hakim had acquired an Indian voter card and Aadhaar card. Police investigations revealed he paid bribes ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,000 to cross the border and secure his illegal stay in India.
#9 12 Years of Illegal Stay with Forged Documents in Coimbatore
On 10 May 2024, Coimbatore police arrested two Bangladeshi nationals, Mohammed Arzoo (26) and Bolash Chandra Barman (25), for living in India illegally. Arzoo, who arrived with his mother 12 years ago, obtained an Aadhaar card in West Bengal using her documents. Meanwhile, Barman secured Aadhaar and PAN cards using forged credentials in Karnataka and Tiruppur, enabling their prolonged stay in the country.
#10 15 Years of Undocumented Life In Thane, Maharashtra
On 25 July 2024, Shanti Nagar police arrested Mitun Abul Manda, a 41-year-old Bangladeshi national residing in Thane for 15 years. A native of Chuadanga, Bangladesh, Manda entered India with fake documents, including Aadhaar, PAN cards, and a passport. He traveled across various states before eventually settling in Maharashtra.
#11 Bangladeshi Woman’s Four-Decade Stay In Bareilly, UP
On 4 March 2023, Bareilly police arrested Sabri, a Bangladeshi woman who had been living in India since 1980. After marrying Ali Hussain in 1988, she obtained Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar, PAN, and voter ID cards. While attempting to secure a passport, her Bangladeshi origins were uncovered, leading to her arrest and imprisonment.
#12 Rishikesh Resident Forges Dual Identities
On 26 August 2024, authorities arrested Sonia Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi woman living in Rishikesh since 2007. Despite holding a Bangladeshi passport, she managed to obtain an Indian passport and a voter ID card. Sonia initially registered as a voter in 2007 and later renewed her voter ID with a new address in Awas Vikas Colony, Rishikesh, in 2014.
#13 A Decade Of Illegal Stay And Business In Kerala
On 7 October 2023, police in Keejuparamba village, Malappuram, arrested Rony Ahmed Babu, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national. Babu had been living in India illegally for 10 years after entering the country via the river near Muzaffarabad in 2012. During his stay, he became a construction dealer before being deported back to Bangladesh.
#14 Hawala Operator Arrested in Kanpur
On 20 December 2022, Kanpur police arrested Rizwan Mohammad, a Bangladeshi national who had been living in India illegally since 2016. Rizwan confessed to operating a hawala business and maintaining connections with individuals in Pakistan. Authorities recovered a Bangladeshi passport, a fake Aadhaar card, foreign currency worth $1,001, gold jewelry, and approximately ₹14 lakh in cash from his residence.
#15 Bangladeshi Mastermind Living as Madrasa Teacher in Kanpur
On 13 December 2021, Uttar Pradesh ATS apprehended Mahfoozur Rahman, a Bangladeshi national who had infiltrated India in 2010 using fake documents. Rahman, who had been living in a madrasa in Kolkata, was involved in sheltering illegal immigrants and teaching them Hindi. He also facilitated the creation of fake signatures and identities for other Bangladeshis residing unlawfully in India.
#16 Bangladeshi Man Arrested In Chennai For Using Fake Indian Passport
A 38-year-old Bangladeshi national, Moseep Hossen, was arrested at Chennai International Airport in November 2024 while attempting to board a flight to Malaysia using a forged Indian passport. Hossen, who illegally entered India in 2009 via Tripura, lived in Chennai for years using fake identity documents. Authorities uncovered his plan to settle in Malaysia for work and seized forged documents. This arrest, alongside recent similar cases, highlights concerns over document verification lapses and related security risks in India.
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