Kendrapara's Ongoing Verification of Suspected Bangladeshi Infiltrators Raises Concerns

Document Verification Underway in Kendrapara
Kendrapara: The local administration in Kendrapara has initiated a verification process for 26 individuals suspected of being Bangladeshi infiltrators. These individuals are currently housed in a temporary detention facility.
According to official reports, 16 of these suspected infiltrators hail from the villages of Kereragada and Gopalpur in the Rajnagar region, while two were apprehended from Rajendranarayanpur and Rangani villages within the jurisdiction of Talachua Marine police.
Additionally, one infiltrator is from the Batighar area, and six others are from the Jamboo Marine police jurisdiction.
The Revenue department, along with the police, is actively verifying the documents of 19 suspected Bangladeshi immigrants. On Friday, six more individuals from the Jamboo area arrived at the detention center to assert their claims of Indian citizenship.
The district administration has instructed the police to visit the homes of these suspected infiltrators to escort them to the detention center, where they must present valid documentation to establish their Indian citizenship.
To ensure security, police personnel have been stationed at the temporary detention center, which has been designated as a restricted area.
Kendrapara District Collector Smruti Ranjan Pradhan has refrained from commenting on the matter, citing strict directives from the Home department and state government to keep details regarding the Bangladeshi infiltrators confidential.
The verification process for suspected illegal Bangladeshi settlers commenced following a directive from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi during his visit to Kendrapara on June 9, where he urged the district administration to take stringent legal measures against illegal immigrants.
Official statistics indicate that a total of 3,738 Bangladeshi infiltrators have been identified across the state.
Of these, 1,551 individuals in Kendrapara received quit India notices on January 15, 2005, but have yet to be deported.
Sources reveal that the influx of Bangladeshi nationals into the coastal Kendrapara district occurred in two significant waves.
The migration began in 1947 during the partition of Bangladesh and intensified following the Bangladeshi Liberation War in 1971.
In 1956, approximately 1,250 Bangladeshi immigrants were recognized as registered refugees and resettled in the coastal regions of the Rajnagar Assembly constituency.
Most of these immigrants originate from the districts of Jashore, Khulna, Barisal, and Faridpur in Bangladesh.