Bangladeshi couple held in Howrah after 14 years of illegal stay
Synopsis
A Bangladeshi couple who allegedly lived undetected in Howrah for 14 years — acquiring Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, and passports through forged documents and even voting in the last Lok Sabha elections — has been arrested. Their case surfaces as West Bengal rolls out district-level holding centres and orders direct BSF handovers of infiltrators, signalling a sharp escalation in the state's immigration enforcement posture.
Key Takeaways
Ramzan Ghazi, 36 , and Arifa Begum, 34 , a Bangladeshi couple, were arrested from the Jagacha police station area in Howrah district on 25 May 2025 .
The couple allegedly entered West Bengal 14 years ago by paying border brokers and had been living in the Unsani Majherpara area since.
By 2014 , they had allegedly procured ration cards, voter ID cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and passports using forged documents, and reportedly voted in the last Lok Sabha elections .
Their names were deleted from West Bengal's electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
The couple's four children have been split — two sent to a shelter home in Liluah , two kept with their mother.
West Bengal has ordered 'holding centres' in every district, allowing detention of suspected illegal immigrants for up to 30 days .
A Bangladeshi couple allegedly residing in India without authorisation for 14 years was arrested from the Jagacha police station area in Howrah district, West Bengal, police said on Sunday, 25 May 2025. The arrests follow a tip-off-based raid and are part of a broader state-level crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants.
Who Was Arrested
The detained individuals have been identified as Ramzan Ghazi, 36, and his wife Arifa Begum, 34. According to police, the couple had been living in the Unsani Majherpara area under Jagacha police station limits in Howrah, reportedly after crossing into West Bengal by paying brokers operating along the border.
Ramzan is said to have earned a livelihood selling tender coconut water, palm fruit, and other items at a local market. The couple was staying with their four children; two of the children, both below the age of seven, have been sent to a shelter home in Liluah in Howrah district, while the remaining two have been kept with their mother.
Forged Documents and Electoral Rolls
Preliminary investigations revealed that by 2014, the couple had allegedly procured ration cards, voter identity cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and passports using forged documents. The couple reportedly cast votes in the last Lok Sabha elections, according to police sources.
Following the recently conducted Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the names of both Ramzan and Arifa were deleted from West Bengal's electoral rolls. A case has since been registered against them under provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act.
State Crackdown: Holding Centres and BSF Handovers
The arrests come amid heightened administrative action in Howrah. Following a high-level meeting at the New Collectorate Building in Howrah on Thursday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed police that Bangladeshi infiltrators apprehended at Howrah station should be handed over directly to the Border Security Force (BSF).
The state government has also ordered the creation of 'holding centres' in every district to house individuals suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals or Rohingya infiltrators. Suspects may be detained at these centres for up to 30 days. Authorities have further clarified that individuals already in prison awaiting deportation can also be transferred to these holding centres.
Broader Context
This is among several recent cases of alleged illegal immigrants being identified and detained across West Bengal amid intensified verification drives. The SIR process, which led to deletions from electoral rolls, has emerged as a key administrative tool in flagging suspected undocumented residents. With holding centres now being established district-wide, authorities appear to be shifting toward a more institutionalised detention and deportation framework — the effectiveness of which will depend on coordination between state police, district administration, and the BSF.
Point of View
But for the depth of document penetration — Aadhaar, PAN, passport, and active voter participation — raising hard questions about verification gaps across multiple government databases. The SIR process catching what routine checks missed points to a systemic, not incidental, failure. West Bengal's new holding-centre framework and BSF handover directive are administratively significant, but their credibility hinges on whether deportation pipelines with Bangladesh can actually move at the pace detentions now will. Without that, holding centres risk becoming overcrowded limbo facilities rather than enforcement tools.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the Howrah illegal immigration case?
The arrested individuals are Ramzan Ghazi, 36, and his wife Arifa Begum, 34, a Bangladeshi couple who had allegedly been living in the Unsani Majherpara area under Jagacha police station limits in Howrah district for 14 years. They were detained following a tip-off-based raid by local police.
How did the Bangladeshi couple obtain Indian identity documents?
According to police, the couple allegedly procured ration cards, voter identity cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and passports using forged documents by 2014. They reportedly also cast votes in the last Lok Sabha elections before their names were deleted from electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
What charges have been filed against the couple?
A case has been registered against Ramzan Ghazi and Arifa Begum under provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act for illegal entry and unauthorised stay in India. The investigation is ongoing.
What is happening to the couple's children?
The couple's four children have been split following the arrest. Two children, both below the age of seven, have been sent to a shelter home in Liluah in Howrah district. The remaining two children have been kept with their mother, Arifa Begum.
What new measures has West Bengal announced to deal with illegal immigrants?
West Bengal has ordered the creation of 'holding centres' in every district where suspected Bangladeshi nationals or Rohingya infiltrators can be detained for up to 30 days. Additionally, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed police to hand over any Bangladeshi infiltrators apprehended at Howrah station directly to the Border Security Force (BSF).
