West Bengal Border: Big action by Shubhendu government against infiltrators in Bengal, 142 acres of land handed over to BSF

To make the international borders impenetrable in West Bengal and completely curb illegal infiltration, the state government has started taking very strict and big steps. Making an important announcement on Wednesday, Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari said that the obstacles in the construction of Border Security Force (BSF) posts and barbed wire fencing have been removed. To strengthen the border security, the government has so far officially handed over a total of 142.79 acres of additional land to the BSF, so that the India-Bangladesh border can be completely secured. Allotment of land in 9 border districts, maximum action in Murshidabad. Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari shared the official data related to this land transfer on social media platform ‘X’. He informed that the security grid is being strengthened in 9 major border districts of the state. According to government data, the maximum land of 38.805 acres has been allotted to BSF in Murshidabad district, which is considered sensitive from infiltration point of view. After this, 35.165 acres of land in Jalpaiguri and 22.95 acres of land in Cooch Behar has been handed over to this wing of the army. The official details of other affected districts are as follows: South Dinajpur: 20.1701 acres Malda: 10.90 acres Darjeeling: 8.815 acres North Dinajpur: 2.84 acres North 24 Parganas: 2.6 acres Nadia: 0.55 acres Soon after this land transfer, on the India-Bangladesh border in Phansidewa area of Siliguri sub-division. Fencing work has started on a war footing, with the government recently handing over a 27 km long patch of land to the BSF. Fear due to ‘Detect, Delete and Deport’ policy, queues of people returning to Bangladesh form. Ever since coming to power in West Bengal, the BJP-led state government has adopted an aggressive policy of ‘Detect, Delete and Deport’ (detect, remove and deport) against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas. The ground effect of this strict policy is now clearly visible. Suddenly a huge crowd of illegal immigrants returning to Bangladesh has started gathering at the international border crossing ‘Hakimpur Checkpost’ located in North 24 Parganas district. Narrating his ordeal at the border, a Bangladeshi citizen working as a mechanic in Howrah said that due to the strict restrictions, it has now become impossible for him to stay here. He told, "There is now a strict crackdown going on in Bengal against infiltrators, so we are going back ourselves. Now neither is anyone giving us work nor is any landlord letting us stay. We were brought here through a broker two-three years ago." When he was asked about Indian identity documents, he clearly said that due to fear of strictness, he did not dare to get any local identity card or ration card made. ‘Holding centres’ will be built in every district, work started on the framework of the Home Ministry. Amidst this campaign to expel illegal immigrants from the country, the Home and Hill Affairs Department of the West Bengal Government has issued a new official instruction on May 23. Under this, strict instructions have been given to all the District Magistrates (DMs) of the state to complete the construction of ‘Holding Centers’ in their respective jurisdictions as soon as possible. These centers will be used to keep illegally detained foreigners and foreign prisoners who have completed their sentence and are to be deported back to their country. It has been made clear in the order that prompt and strict legal action should be taken against Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingyas living illegally in the country as per the rules and guidelines set by the Union Home Ministry (MHA).