Suspected Bangladeshi nat’l held

BALURGHAT: Balurghat police arrested a suspected Bangladeshi national who had been hiding in a village under Balurghat Block. The individual, identified as Tapas Pramanik (43), is reportedly a resident of Naoda district in Bangladesh. Acting on a tip-off, police raided a hatchery in Dogachhi village and arrested him.

Along with Pramanik, the hatchery owner, Gopal Mahanta, was also arrested for allegedly sheltering him despite knowing about his illegal status. Both individuals have been remanded to three-day police custody by the Balurghat Court. Authorities are now investigating whether there is any larger conspiracy behind Pramanik’s entry into India.

A few days ago, another Bangladeshi national was caught wandering aimlessly in Balurghat town. With South Dinajpur district sharing a 252-kilometre-long border with Bangladesh, illegal cross-border movement has become increasingly common — especially since political unrest erupted in Bangladesh last June.

Police have recently detained several suspicious individuals in areas like Hili, Kumarganj and Tapan blocks. Notably, some intruders were found disguised in various ways, including posing as transgender individuals.

Balurghat DSP (Headquarters) Vikram Prasad stated: “We acted on confidential information. The arrested individual had no valid documents. A person who gave him shelter has also been arrested. A thorough investigation is underway.”