174 Bangladeshis detained in Jhajjar, deportation process underway
As many as 174 Bangladeshi nationals were detained from two brick kilns in Jhajjar district as part of a major police crackdown on illegal immigration, officials confirmed on Monday. The migrants, who had entered India illegally and lived undetected for over a decade, are now housed at a local dharamshala under police protection, with arrangements made for food and basic care.
29 more Bangladeshis held in Rohtak
- As many as 29 more illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have been detained by the police from a brick kiln in Kalanaur area of the district
- Forty illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were detained from brick kilns at Farmana and Titoli villages in the district earlier.
- All 69 illegal immigrants, who do not have any passports, have been detained and will be deported soon, said Rohtak police spokesman Sunny Laura
16 held in Rewari
In a joint operation, the Central Intelligence Bureau and Rampura police apprehended 16 Bangladeshi nationals, including five women and five children, from a brick kiln in Harinagar village, Rewari, onTuesday. During interrogation, they admitted to having entered India illegally and staying in Nuh, Jhajjar, and Narnaul before arriving in Rewari. Since then, they had been living in rooms constructed at the brick kiln site. Inspector Vidhya Sagar, SHO, Rampura Police Station, said two Bangladeshi nationals were also detained some days ago.
“These individuals will be deported after police verification, fingerprinting and other formalities. We are awaiting necessary permissions from the authorities concerned. Once everything is in place, they will be sent back to Bangladesh by buses,” said Dr Rajshree, Commissioner of Police, Jhajjar.
According to police, the detained individuals had settled in the area without any identification documents and worked in harsh conditions at local brick kilns to support their families. Some arrived in India as children and grew up working in these kilns.
“We were told we would find work and food here,” said one of the detained migrants. “The agent made arrangements and brought us illegally through the border at night,” he recalled.
Several migrants spoke of being lured by agents who promised jobs and used underhanded tactics to sneak them across the India-Bangladesh border. “The agents would create disturbances to distract guards while taking us through hidden routes,” one of them claimed.
Dr Rajshree said the crackdown is far from over, with more sites under surveillance. “We are identifying more locations. The crackdown is ongoing,” she said.
A meeting has also been held with the District Brick Kiln Association, instructing kiln owners not to employ labourers without valid documentation. “Strict action will be taken against violators,” she added.
The incident has spotlighted long-standing issues related to undocumented migration, illegal employment and the exploitation of cheap labour in Haryana’s industrial zones.