21 Bangladeshis detained at Banihal while illegally travelling to Kashmir
At least 21 Bangladeshi nationals, including men, women, and children, have been detained by the police at Banihal on the Jammu-Srinagar highway while they were illegally travelling to the Kashmir valley reportedly with intentions to settle there. The detained persons belong to the Sylhet district in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh.
Police said on Monday that they didn’t have passports, visas, or any other official travel paperwork. During the questioning, they reportedly said they entered India illegally via the Assam border, and that they were going to Kashmir for employment to earn their livelihood. Police have filed a case and have now started an investigation into the exact route they followed, and also the people who may have helped them infiltrate into the country.
Reports say the group was stopped during a routine checking operation in Banihal in the Ramban district on Sunday. Police went through their documents, but they said none of them were valid.
During questioning, they are learnt to have told the police that they boarded a train from Assam to Jammu, moving through spots like New Jalpaiguri, Katihar, Barauni, Mughalsarai, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Delhi before finally arriving at Jammu Tawi. They were nabbed while they were travelling by road to Kashmir.
Police said that the detainees are residents from various corners of Bangladesh’s Sylhet district. A case has been filed and the authorities are investigating how they infiltrated into India, what exact route they followed, and also whether there was any help for them to slip across the border in an illegal way.
Those detained are Imran Ahmed (18), Mustakim Ahmed (15), Shuhag Ahmed (17), Rubia Begum (22), Zaheer Ahmed (03), Zaheen Ahmed (07), Lisa Begum (20), Fatima (06), Mohammad Fahim (02), Aklima Begum (18), all residents of Sylhet, Raniganj and Sunamganj districts of Bangladesh. Mohammad Alauddin (38), Mohammad Ayaz Ali (32) and Suhel Ahmed (28) all are residents of Saidgaon in Sunamganj of Sylhet district of Bangladesh. Rahimuddin (23), Mohammad Alamgir (19) and Rehan Ahmed (14) are residents of Saidpur in Sunamganj of Sylhet district. Kevsar Ahmed (26), Rajul Karim (22) both are residents of West Rukunpur. Rasil Ahmed (29), Sahajuddin Ahmed (19), Sabir (19) are residents of Sylhet.