Bengal Police tighten vigilance amid rising Bangladesh infiltration concerns

West Bengal is on a high alert amid growing concerns over the situation in Bangladesh and increasing infiltration threats. State police have expressed apprehension about Bangladeshis acquiring Indian passports without legitimate residency, exposing loopholes in the current system.

At a press conference, Director General of Police (DG) Rajeev Kumar and Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order Jawed Shamim addressed these pressing issues. DG Kumar emphasised that the police are not responsible for verifying passport addresses, a task currently managed by the passport authority.

Kumar also criticised existing guidelines, calling them misleading and susceptible to exploitation.

“The police are not responsible. The police have no role in verifying the address of the passport. The passport authority has given the instructions. We have said that it must be changed,” he stated firmly.

ADG Shamim reiterated Kumar’s concerns, stating that the state police are taking every possible measure to prevent extremists from obtaining Indian passports. “We are working in coordination with all agencies and ensuring no one gets a passport using fake documents from West Bengal,” he added.

The police have assured the public of their unwavering commitment to security. DG Kumar lauded the track record of the state and Kolkata police in combating militancy.

A recent example of the police’s efficiency is the arrest of a suspected terrorist from Canning in a joint operation by West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir police. The arrested person, a member of the banned militant organisation Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen of Kashmir, was identified through information provided by the West Bengal Police Special Task Force (STF).

“The information provided by the STF of the West Bengal police led to the discovery of the Kashmiri resident. He was arrested recently. Our record in combating militancy was good in the past. It is still good. We will try to maintain that record in the future as well,” Kumar noted.

In addition, the DG indirectly pointed to gaps in border security managed by the Border Security Force (BSF), citing instances of infiltration from Bangladesh. However, he reassured that the state police remain vigilant in arresting infiltrators and handing them over to the appropriate authorities.

Highlighting the importance of public cooperation, Kumar remarked, “We are successful in combating militancy because we get the cooperation of the people. Just as we are for the people, the people are for us”.