MUMBAI: The arrest of Bangladeshi illegal migrant Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammed Rohilla Amin Fakir for last week’s attempted robbery and assault on actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence in Bandra has revived concerns over unauthorized entry and stay in the country .
Because Bangladeshis, whether illegal or legal immigrants, are often willing to work for less money than the prevailing wage in the city, they are easily hired as day laborers, jewelry artisans, domestic help, and other similar workers, often through from unverified sources, says the police officer.
Crime branch sources said Bangladeshis who enter the country illegally usually do so through regions like Malda, 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Dineshpur and Chapali Nawabganj. Once here, illegal immigrants reportedly pay between 2,000 and 10,000 rupees to obtain fake Aadhaar cards with the help of agents. These documents allow them to establish themselves in any part of the country. Agents help them get jobs in exchange for a commission.
“There is a vast network operating in India that helps these illegal immigrants settle here,” an officer said. “They are not afraid of proceedings being registered against them, because that guarantees their prolonged stay. Until the case reaches a ruling, they cannot be deported. Furthermore, they are released on bail in a matter of days and continue to live a normal life.”
Even with regular deportation campaigns, illegals continue to increase as many re-enter the country with new identities. Many of them get jobs as maids, cooks, fish sellers, occasional laborers and some even engage in meat trading.
In a recent operation, the police and crime department arrested 30 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Last year, police arrested 310 Bangladeshi nationals who were illegally in the city alone. Some of those detained had even been voting in elections for years.
CM Devendra Fadnavis recently said that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were seeking birth certificates in the state to get the right to vote. He called it “vote jihad part 2.” “Nearly 100 such cases have been reported from Amravati and Malegaon taluka in Nashik. These people, many of them in their 50s, are obtaining documents illegally,” he said at the BJP state convention in Shirdi.
During the November assembly election campaign, Fadnavis cited instances of a community voting en masse against the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections held in early 2024, calling it a “jihad vote”.
In December, he had said a detention center would be built in the city to hold illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
Last year, Crime Unit 1 arrested one person, Mohammad Idris Sheikh alias Johimuddin Bishu Dewan, a Bangladeshi who has been residing in the city since 1994. The arrest took place near Charni Road station. During the investigation, officials discovered a “fee schedule” detailing the sums paid by Bangladeshis to agents for illegal entry into the country.
There is a huge demand for maids in the city for domestic and domestic work, and Bangladeshis are keen to fill the gap.
“There is a shortage of maids and cooks and local workers demand large sums of money. In comparison, Bangladeshis are willing to work 24 hours a day and earn little money,” said Chaya Kadam, a city resident.