Odisha’s crackdown on illegal Bangladeshis continues: 28 more suspects detained in Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak

A coordinated late-night operation in Jagatsinghpur district on Tuesday resulted in the detention of more than 20 suspected Bangladeshi nationals, as police expanded statewide verification drives across coastal settlements following repeated alerts about unauthorised stay.

The action, conducted in Tarikunda and Dariapur villages under Sadar police limits last night, marks the latest in a series of crackdowns underway across Odisha.

Senior officers, including the Additional SP and the SDPO, led the surprise operation shortly before midnight. A full platoon force supported the search, which targeted clusters identified through recent intelligence inputs.

Sources reported that police teams moved through residential pockets and inspected a madrasa, where several suspected foreign nationals were believed to be staying. Over 20 individuals were taken into custody for verification, while information from the spot suggested that more than 10 others fled before the teams arrived.

The district police have not issued a formal statement on the number of those who escaped.

Bhadrak Police Conduct Parallel Operation

In a separate exercise on the same night, Basudevpur Police in nearby Bhadrak district detained eight additional suspects as part of heightened monitoring around coastal blocks. 

Bhadrak SP Manoj Rout visited the local police station to supervise the verification process and reviewed identity documents produced by the detainees. Officers questioned the individuals on their place of origin, the localities where they had been staying, and the nature of work they were engaged in.

According to official district data, Basudevpur has historically reported the highest concentration of Bangladeshi nationals within Bhadrak, prompting periodic checks. Previous rounds of verification had led to the detention of several suspects, and Tuesday’s operation was carried out after renewed inputs of unauthorised movement in fishing and coastal hamlets.

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Statewide Action Follows Assembly Disclosure

The intensified policing comes a day after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Odisha Assembly that 49 Bangladeshi nationals had been repatriated following a statewide identification campaign launched after the formation of the current government.

According to the data presented in the House, 51 individuals have so far been identified as illegal residents across the State. These include 24 in Khordha, 15 in Cuttack, six in Ganjam, three in Kandhamal and one in Koraput.

Two additional individuals were detected using forged passports, with cases registered against them for the offence. The State Government has constituted a dedicated task committee to oversee identification, detention and deportation processes and has instructed all district police chiefs to strengthen local surveillance.

Odisha currently operates 18 district-level detention facilities and two state-level centres to handle verification and repatriation procedures.