By Isaac Harold Gomes
Kolkata, June 21, 2026: A clandestine network of agents and officials turned illegal immigration into a billion-rupee industry along the Indo-Bangladesh border, with insiders revealing decades of infiltration, forged documents, and staggering profits now disrupted by political change.
Anandabazar.com, through its June 16, report, has brought to light a mindboggling saga of a flourishing illegal trade of mass immigration of Bangladeshis into West Bengal.
The investigation details how infiltration became an “industry” over decades, with networks of agents, corrupt Panchayat leaders, and municipal officials facilitating entry and settlement.
Sirajul (name changed), a resident of Swarupnagar in North 24 Parganas, just four kilometers from the Indo-Bangladesh border, disclosed the inner workings of the trade.
For 20 years, he ran a business codenamed “Dhoor Parapar” — “Dhoor” meaning illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and “Parapar” meaning facilitating their sneaking into West Bengal.
He admitted, “There are ‘ghat-parties’ on both sides of the Indo-Bangladesh border.
Those intending to enter India from Bangladesh would pay the ‘ghat-party’ of Bangladesh, 15,000 Bangladeshi Taka per person.” Payments were often transferred via Bikash, a Bangladeshi UPI app.
Operations and coordination
Sirajul explained that between Hakimpur and nearby areas, five points alone saw 30–35 infiltrators daily, amounting to nearly 1,000 people monthly. With hundreds of such “ghats” statewide, infiltration peaked in Bongaon and Malda-Murshidabad sectors.
• Indian agents earned ₹2,000 per infiltrator, with ₹500 each for linemen and guides.
• Monthly turnover per ghat: ₹600,000 lakh.
• Statewide turnover: ₹700–800 million monthly.
• Over 20 years, this translates to ₹160–180 billion and an estimated 120 million infiltrators settling in India.
A police officer, speaking anonymously, alleged that a former Panchayat Pradhan of Sharapul-Nirman continued issuing forged certificates even after leaving office.
His documents were so convincing they fooled not only Indian authorities but even U.S. immigration checks. Prices ranged from ₹10,000–15,000 per certificate, with profits shared among local staff at administrative offices.
Sirajul lamented that his business collapsed after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was rolled out on November 4, 2025, and following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral victory.
He said, “Business happened only if we could slip past the BSF [Border Security Force]; if we got caught, there was nothing to be done — the money would be lost.”
The crackdown has also halted corrupt Panchayat and municipal officials who issued Aadhaar identity card, voter ID, and income tax cards to infiltrators.
The revelations raise troubling questions about the scale of infiltration and its impact on social security benefits, voter rolls, and national security. With estimates suggesting over 10 million infiltrators in two decades, observers warn this may be only the tip of the iceberg.
(Photo supplied)