Kolkata, Sept. 2 -- Alleged Bangladeshi tag raised fresh fears of harassment of poor residents in Bengal over their purported Bangladeshi identity, stated TMC Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam in a social media post.
Islam claimed that Uttar Dinajpur police detained a local resident despite his documents showing his Indian identity.
"Jalil Akhtar, a resident of the district, was allegedly picked up from his home on the night of June 19 on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi national and subsequently lodged at a holding centre, according to his family," the MP posted.
The family claimed Jalil has been residing in India for generations and had voter ID, Aadhaar, ration cards, old land and citizenship-related documents of his ancestors. They also claimed his name figured in the 2026 electoral roll.
The MP said: Dalkhola police initially handed Jalil over to the BSF for possible pushback to Bangladesh. However, after examining his documents, the BSF returned him to the holding centre.
The family members further claimed they approached the police with the documents, but Jalil was later arrested in another case, which they alleged was fabricated.
In December 2025, Birbhum resident Sunali Khatun and her minor son returned to India after being deported to Bangladesh in June amid a similar citizenship controversy.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.