Bangladeshi Infiltrators to Be Handed Over to BSF Instead of Courts: West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari

PTI, May 21, 2026, Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said that Bangladeshi infiltrators detained in the state would now be handed over directly to the Border Security Force (BSF) instead of being produced before courts, as part of a new enforcement mechanism that came into effect a day earlier.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari being greeted by supporters during a visit to Belur Math in Howrah district on Thursday. (PTI Photo)

Speaking to reporters after an administrative review meeting at the Howrah District Magistrate’s office, Adhikari said instructions had already been issued to the police commissioner and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) regarding the new procedure.

“Since yesterday, the new rule has come into effect under which infiltrators will not be sent to courts but handed over to the BSF at the Bangladesh border,” he said.

Adhikari also announced on Wednesday the implementation of a mechanism under which detained infiltrators would be transferred directly to the BSF for deportation, describing it as part of a broader “detect, delete and deport” framework.

However, he did not specify the legal Act under which the policy shift has been introduced. The move is believed to be linked to the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, passed by Parliament in April last year, which provides a framework for immigration control, registration, surveillance, detention, and deportation in India.

The Chief Minister said that if any illegal migrant from Bangladesh, who is not eligible to apply for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), is detained—such as at Howrah railway station—they would not be sent to court. Instead, they would be provided basic care and then handed over to BSF personnel at designated border points, including Petrapole in Bongaon or border outposts in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district.

He further said that weekly reports on the number of such detainees would be submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) through the Director General of Police (DGP).

During the same visit, Adhikari was accorded a guard of honour at the Howrah District Magistrate’s office before chairing an administrative review meeting with senior officials.

The meeting focused on civic infrastructure and development issues in Howrah, located on the western bank of the Hooghly river.

A coordination committee has been formed under the District Magistrate to improve civic amenities, including drinking water supply, drainage systems, and urban infrastructure in the Howrah Municipal Corporation area. The committee will be overseen by Municipal Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed.

The state government and the railways also agreed to jointly identify responsibilities for improving infrastructure in the city.

“Our focus is to fulfil the basic needs of the city. We will work on long-term planning to develop Howrah into a modern urban centre,” Adhikari said.

The meeting also decided to complete the Howrah Municipal Corporation ward delimitation process.