Seven Bangladeshi nationals detained while attempting to illegally cross into West Bengal through the Murshidabad border were transferred to a newly established 'holding centre' in Lalgola, Murshidabad district, on Tuesday, 27 May 2025. The arrests were made during a late-night special operation on Monday, and all seven were moved to the facility within 24 hours — bringing the total number of detainees at the centre to 10.

How the Arrests Unfolded

Officers of the Jalangi police station conducted a targeted operation in the Bidupur area after receiving intelligence that a group of infiltrators was attempting to enter the Indian mainland under cover of darkness. The seven individuals had crossed into West Bengal through the Sarkarpara border in Jalangi, reportedly evading the Border Security Force (BSF) with the assistance of a broker.

During initial questioning, the detained persons stated they had entered India in search of work. Police subsequently confirmed that all seven are residents of the Daulatpur police station area in Kushtia district, Bangladesh. Their names have been withheld pending investigation.

About the Lalgola Holding Centre

The Lalgola holding centre was inaugurated on Monday, following an announcement by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Three individuals arrested earlier on infiltration charges were already housed there before the latest seven arrivals. Under the state government's framework, suspects can be detained in these centres for up to 30 days.

The facilities are designed to hold not only those freshly arrested on suspicion of being undocumented Bangladeshi or Rohingya nationals, but also individuals previously imprisoned on similar charges and those in the process of deportation. Last week, the West Bengal government ordered the creation of such holding centres in each district of the state.

Push-Back Process Under Way

According to district administration sources, the process of 'push back' to Bangladesh is being initiated swiftly on the state government's instructions. The detained individuals are to be directly handed over to the BSF, which will coordinate their return to their respective countries.

A senior officer of the Murshidabad Police District confirmed that following the administration's firm stance on the infiltration issue, surveillance operations and arrest numbers have risen sharply across West Bengal's border areas. This is the latest in a series of detentions that signal a stepped-up enforcement posture along the state's porous riverine frontier.

Broader Context

The Murshidabad district shares a long and difficult-to-monitor stretch of the India-Bangladesh border, with the Jalangi and Lalgola blocks historically identified as sensitive crossing points. The creation of district-level holding centres marks a structural shift in how West Bengal intends to process and repatriate undocumented entrants, moving away from the conventional judicial remand route toward a faster administrative detention-and-deportation pipeline. How quickly the BSF and central authorities can execute push-backs will determine whether the new infrastructure delivers on its stated deterrence effect.