Odisha begins process to identify illegal Bangladeshis
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Monday said the government has already started the process of identifying Bangladeshis staying illegally in different districts of the State. The government has entrusted the Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch to carry out the identification process. The STF, in close coordination with district police, Coast Guard and other agencies will soon begin the identification process.
"We have already started the process of identifying illegal migrants staying in both urban and rural areas. No foreign national residing without valid legal status will be allowed to stay in Odisha. Different engineering departments of the State government have been asked not to engage any Bangladeshi or foreign national without valid documents. The government has taken a strong stance in this regard," Harichandan told reporters here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
28 minutes ago
- News18
LeT, Jaish Tap Bangladesh Radical Networks, Use Campuses To Target Indian Students
Last Updated: Top intelligence sources reveal Bangladesh-based groups are now providing legitimate access to LeT and Jaish in universities, where they target Indian students for radicalisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed have joined hands with radical groups in Bangladesh, opening a new front to radicalise Indian youth, CNN-News18 has learnt from top intelligence sources. A recent speech by Saifullah Kasuri, aka Khalid, in Kasur, Lahore, which has gone viral and is now circulating among radical groups, referenced Bengal and the division of the region on May 28. The speech is being actively used in radical circles to fuel propaganda. Bangladesh-based groups are now providing legitimate access to LeT and Jaish in universities, where they target Indian students for radicalisation. These India-based groups are also collaborating with Jamaat-e-Islami, creating a cross-border ideological network. LeT's exploitation of Bangladeshi universities is built on three key pillars: ideological alignment with local radicals, institutional decay, and cross-border impunity. Backed by ISI, LeT operates through multi-layered strategies combining ideological networks, institutional vulnerabilities, and cross-border operational logistics. LeT coordinates with Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir to infiltrate campuses. Shibir grants access to student networks, hostels, and Islamic study circles, which are then used for recruitment. Following the restoration of Jamaat-e-Islami's legitimacy post-2024, this access has become more streamlined. Groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), both linked to LeT, operate madrasas near universities. These madrasas indoctrinate students with Wahhabi-Salafi ideologies, framing education as jihad for Islamic revival. UK-based front organisations have also funded radical madrasas that later recruit university students. Shibir members invite Indian students into Islamic study circles, blending religious discussions with LeT propaganda videos. Events at the University of Dhaka have glorified Kashmir terrorists killed as martyrs. LeT's attack footage from India is shared through encrypted apps such as Telegram and Signal, with videos from incidents like the Pahalgam attacks being circulated to incite anti-India sentiments. Radical groups offer scholarships, flood relief, and financial aid to economically vulnerable Indian students. Following the 2024 floods, Jamaat distributed aid along with radical literature. Senior student 'mentors" isolate Indian youth, presenting radicalisation as identity preservation, while enforcing conservative dress codes such as beards and veils to build group loyalty. LeT is also using Bangladesh as a transit hub. Indian students radicalised in Dhaka or Chittagong are sent to LeT camps in Pakistan via Myanmar or Nepal, often under the guise of educational tours. They portray India as oppressing Muslims, leveraging events like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and incidents of communal violence, such as the 2023 temple vandalism to validate jihadist narratives. The post-2024 interim government in Bangladesh lifted bans on Jamaat-e-Islami and allied groups, appointing radicals to key positions, including the Hizb-ut-Tahrir founder as Home Secretary. This has enabled LeT affiliates like Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) to operate openly on campuses. Government concessions to Hefazat-e-Islam, such as compulsory Islamic education, allow madrasas to teach jihadist ideologies unchallenged. Universities have also adopted gender-segregated curricula, normalising extremist norms. Bangladesh's lax NGO oversight, coupled with hundi remittances and money laundering—both significant contributors to its GDP—allow LeT to mask funding as charitable donations. LeT receives funds via NGOs from the Middle East, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, under the pretext of reviving Islamic heritage and campus charities. Radicalised students returning to India are deployed as operatives. HuJI-B, JMB, and LeT proxies maintain around 40 sleeper cells in Assam and Nagaland, using Bangladesh-trained Indians to carry out attacks. LeT has also utilised Bangladeshi routes for India-bound operations. The 2025 Pahalgam attack involved a LeT operative who had met a Bangladeshi official prior to the operation. Anti-minority violence in Bangladesh — where nearly 2,200 Hindu-targeted incidents were reported in 2024 — spills over into India, intensifying Hindu-Muslim tensions and aiding in jihadist recruitment.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Operation Ghost SIM': Assam man who helped route fake numbers to Pakistan-based WhatsApp accounts arrested
The Assam Police on Saturday night arrested the prime accused in a fake SIM card racket allegedly linked to Pakistan, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 11 since May 16. The crackdown is part of ' Operation Ghost SIM ', a joint effort initiated by the state police based on intelligence inputs from the Indian Army. The accused, Mostafa Rahman (29), was nabbed by the Special Task Force (STF) from Pokalagi Part III village in the Dhubri district of lower Assam. He is believed to be a key operator in the racket that generated and circulated SIM cards using fake identities for cybercrime and anti-national activities . During the arrest, police recovered critical evidence including: One laptop Two mobile phones Three micro ATM machines One biometric device Six ATM cards Eleven voter ID cards An Aadhaar card and a PAN card 'Further interrogation of the accused is currently underway,' Assam Police said in a statement. Live Events SIMs used to create WhatsApp accounts for Pakistan-based operatives Launched on May 16, 'Operation Ghost SIM' unearthed a network operating out of Assam, Rajasthan, and Telangana, where fraudulently obtained SIM cards were allegedly being used to support cybercrime operations and sensitive communications with Pakistani agents. According to the police, the accused procured SIM cards using documents of unsuspecting citizens and used them to activate WhatsApp accounts that appeared to be Indian, but were allegedly operated by anti-national actors. 'In this case, there seems to be clear evidence that some of these numbers have been shared across and are being used by inimical elements,' a senior police officer said. Accused face terror, cybercrime, and conspiracy charges The case has been registered under multiple serious provisions, including: Criminal conspiracy Waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India (under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 Information Technology (IT) Act The first arrests under this operation were made in Assam, Rajasthan, and Telangana on May 16, with seven individuals taken into custody. The arrest of Rahman marks a significant step in uncovering the larger network behind what officials have called a 'national security threat disguised as digital fraud.'
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Passage to the east
Good morning, By late Sunday night, the Mumbai Indians seemed to have one foot firmly planted in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final with a 200+ score on the board. The match had already been delayed for two hours and 45 minutes after the toss as the skies opened up over Ahmedabad. In the event of a washout, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) would have been a shoo-in for the finals. But, they didn't need a miracle of nature. More drama was yet to unfold. In the second half of the match, the PBKS skipper, Shreyas Iyer, strode out like a man on a mission, unleashing three boundaries and four sixes. The Iyer special sealed the franchise's ticket to their first-ever IPL final since 2014. With their duel set against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, one thing's for sure: come tomorrow, the league will crown a new champion. On that note, let's get to today's edition. India has ramped up its crackdown on illegal immigration ever since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor. As part of its efforts, over 2,000 illegal immigrants have been 'pushed back' into Bangladesh, per government sources. A similar number of immigrants have shown up near the India-Bangladesh border to cross over voluntarily. The action: Gujarat accounts for nearly half of the migrants who have been 'pushed back', followed by Delhi, Haryana, Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The illegal immigrants are rounded up, ferried to the borders in Indian Air Force aircraft and handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF). They are kept in makeshift camps, provided food and Bangladeshi currency, and pushed back into the country after a few hours of detention. The politics: Illegal immigration has been a hot-button issue in Indian politics, particularly in Northeastern states, where people's movements across the porous borders predate the Partition. Officials suggest that the push-back process has been going smoothly. Barring those who came to India decades ago, most are willing to go back. However, a majority of them are poor labourers with no means for a legal fight. This newspaper has even reported on instances of people being left in no-man's land or those deported erroneously. The Indian Express's editorial today calls for due process to ensure lasting security. Cricketer Kuldeep Yadav is feeling the pinch of a senior-less Team India. After Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement mid-tour in Australia last year and Ravindra Jadeja getting on in years, Yadav has suddenly been thrust into the role of India's lead spinner in overseas conditions. The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli came as another shocker for Yadav. 'You want your senior players to stay for big series such as this. The responsibility is taken by the seniors and the youngsters feel free,' he said. Read all that Yadav had to say at the latest Idea Exchange session as he gears up for the upcoming India-England test series. Awaited: The Adani Group-Maharashtra government special purpose vehicle has sought several key exemptions for the Dharavi redevelopment project, which are pending approval. These include land transfers, waivers on tax and staircase/open space premium, and regulatory relaxations. Top up: The demand for work under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) peaked during the Covid pandemic. Since then, it has seen a steady decline, and so has the Centre's fund release. However, the Ministry of Rural Development has now sought an outlay of Rs 5.23 lakh crore for the next five years, marking a 12 per cent hike from the previous five financial years. The Gaza crisis: Last week, visuals of hungry Gazans rushing to aid sites, which resulted in several deaths and injuries, put the world's lens on the US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Critics, including United Nations organisations, have accused GHF of not following humanitarian principles. Jonathan Fowler of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) discusses the cause, scale and effect of the 'human-made' hunger crisis in the embattled Strip. In retrospect: The assassination of a Union Minister, a member of the Congress party, is back in the spotlight. Lalit Narayan Mishra, a Railway Minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet, was killed in a bomb blast in Samastipur in January 1975. Now, Ashwini Kumar Choubey of the BJP has demanded that the Centre set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe into his death. Here's a recap of the probes into Mishra's killing, what they found, and why his family members are not convinced. Under water: The monsoon dumps a deluge of water on our city roads, flooding them in a yearly ritual. Columnist Ashvani Kumar Gosain examines the problems plaguing our urban centres, where drainage systems have failed to keep up with the climate change challenge. For over two decades, 25 artworks by the maestro M F Husain were hidden away in the vaults of a private bank in Mumbai. These canvases, painted by Husain at Pundole's gallery and a friend's Dubai apartment, were kept at the bank as part of the proceeds in an alleged loan default case against Swarup Srivastava, the original owner. For the first time, these little-known Husains are set to be showcased in India at the Pundole gallery's June 12 auction. Before you go, don't forget to tune in to the latest '3 Things' podcast episode. Today's lineup: CBSE's 'mother tongue first' policy, custom gene-editing, and the Chief of Defence Staff's remarks on India's losses in Operation Sindoor. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
