30-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Operation Bangladesh: 50 mobile phones reveal Bangladeshi chats; over 2,000 illegal huts razed in Ahmedabad
AHMEDABAD: In a major breakthrough under Operation Bangladesh in Gujarat, Surat Police, in coordination with central agencies, discovered Bangladeshi contact numbers and chat records on 50 mobile phones seized from suspects.
The digital evidence pointed to a large-scale infiltration, with over 100 of the 150 arrested individuals c, including 45 women,onfirmed to be illegal Bangladeshi nationals.
The suspects had reportedly entered India through agents and were residing illegally across Surat. A police source said, "Bangladeshi numbers and chats were found on the mobile phones of 50 other suspects during the operation, prompting further investigation. A joint interrogation was conducted with Surat Police, the State and Central Intelligence Bureau (IB), where each suspect was questioned in depth."
All arrested individuals are currently held at the Bhikshuk Gruh in Surat, where authorities are thoroughly verifying their identities through document checks.
The investigation has concluded, and agencies are now preparing detailed reports to be submitted to the Central and State Governments for further action. Surat Police officials confirmed that the operation is ongoing, with more action expected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, a massive demolition drive targeting illegal Bangladeshi settlements is underway in Ahmedabad's Chandola area.
Late on the night of 28 April, a police convoy, accompanied by an Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) team and 50 JCB machines, reached the site. Demolition work began at 7 a.m. the next morning.
The AMC first razed around 150 illegal embankments at the farmhouse of Lalla Bihari, who is known for his involvement in illicit activities.
This was followed by the demolition of approximately 2,000 huts constructed by Bangladeshi nationals near the small Chandola Lake. In total, the operation cleared around one lakh square metres of land.
Gujarat's Minister of State for Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghvi, said, "The area near Chandola Lake, where four illegal Bangladeshis associated with Al-Qaeda were caught, has been demolished. This area also saw the highest drug seizures and was a hub for illegal activities. Many illegal Bangladeshis have been arrested from here. We are committed to securing every inch of state government land by clearing it. Over 1.25 lakh square metres of land had been encroached upon by illegal Bangladeshis."
