Post News Network
Cuttack, Dec 27: Absence of authentic data on the number of Bangladeshi migrants residing in the state, and their unverified identity, could pose a serious security threat to the state and the nation in future, it is feared.
Serious concern has been raised on related security aspects after Commissionerate Police (CP) arrested four Bangladeshi citizens from the prohibited area of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) at Charibatia, near Choudwar, a few days ago. Sources said police is planning to seek help of the intelligence department and Interpol in this connection.
The data collected from the office of additional inspector general (AIG), Marine police, has revealed that only 3,987 Bangladeshi migrants are illegally residing in different districts of the state. According to the data, Kendrapara has the highest number of Bangladeshi migrants at 1,649, which is followed by Jagatsinghpur with 1,112. The number of Bangladeshi citizens residing in Malkangiri was found to be 655 while it is 106 for Nabrangpur, 313 for Bhadrak, 150 for Balasore and two in Bargarh.
Private sources, however, said a large number of Bangladeshi citizens are residing in Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Balasore districts. Even these migrants have managed to collect permanent residence certificate from the district administration. “In order to create permanent vote banks, a few politicians are helping the Bangladeshi migrants get residence certificate. Presence of these migrants may pose a security threat to the state as well as to the country,” said social activists Deepak Acharya.
Sources say that in most of the cases, Bangladeshi citizens have entered the state through sea route without proper documents. Though the state government has set up Marine police stations in coastal districts, the inflow of illegal migrants through sea route remained unchecked. “Investigations have found that the Bangladeshis arrested near the ARC were in touch with unknown persons from their homeland as well as from Saudi Arabia. Quite a few Bangladeshi citizens are residing in the city without the knowledge of police,” advocate Tusharkant Nayak said.
DCP Sanjeev Arora said, “We have taken up the Bangladeshi migrants issue seriously after the ARC incident and all police stations have been put on alert.”
