In a significant crackdown, the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police has arrested a Bangladeshi fugitive wanted for over three decades in multiple serious criminal cases, including murder, kidnapping, land grabbing and contract killings.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Hashem Mallick alias Hashem Ali Mallick (60), was nabbed from Baliura Purba Para in Tehatta, Nadia district, during a joint operation by the STF and local police in the early hours of Monday.
According to police, Hashem had been living under a fake Indian identity, having even married a local woman and started a family. Shockingly, one of his sons is currently serving in the Indian paramilitary forces, further deepening concerns about identity fraud and security lapses.
He had reportedly been working as a fisherman and farmer, blending into the local community while evading Bangladeshi law enforcement for decades.
Court grants police custody
Hashem was produced before the Tehatta sub-divisional court, where the STF sought his custody for further questioning. The court granted three days of police remand.
An STF officer stated that Hashem had been involved in a murder case in Meherpur district, Bangladesh, nearly 30 years ago and that a lookout notice had been issued against him by Bangladeshi authorities in 2019.
The arrest followed specific inputs from the Bangladesh police, which alerted Indian authorities about the presence of multiple fugitives in West Bengal. Acting on this intelligence, the STF launched a surveillance operation in Tehatta and tracked Hashem to a local area where he had been living discreetly.
“Several Indian documents, including an Aadhaar card, were recovered from the accused. We suspect they are forged, and an investigation is underway to identify the network that helped him obtain them,” said an STF officer.
Charges under Foreigners Act and BNS
Though Hashem initially denied the allegations, he confessed during interrogation to having committed crimes in Bangladesh and entering India illegally. He has been booked under multiple sections of the Foreigners Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including illegal entry and possession of fake documents.
Investigators are now trying to determine how Hashem crossed the border undetected, how he acquired forged Indian papers and whether he was part of a larger network or acting independently. Authorities are also probing whether he had any links to sabotage or other illegal activities within India.
Political ripples: BJP sharpens attack on TMC
Hashem’s arrest has sparked a fresh political storm in the state, with the BJP using the case to reignite its long-standing allegation of unchecked infiltration under the TMC government. The party has hinted that this issue will become a key plank in its campaign for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
“A notorious criminal like Hashem entered Bengal during the Left Front regime and managed to live undetected for over a decade and a half under Mamata Banerjee’s rule,” said a BJP leader, adding, “We have consistently raised concerns about infiltration in Bengal and this arrest is a clear and sharp vindication of our allegations.”
The BJP accuses the TMC of leniency toward illegal immigrants, alleging that the ruling party’s policies have allowed criminals from across the border to find safe haven in the state, particularly in border districts like Nadia, Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas.
Hashem’s case has raised serious concerns about internal security, document verification systems and border surveillance mechanisms. Investigations are ongoing, and officials have not ruled out more arrests in the coming days.
As Bengal moves closer to the 2026 elections, illegal immigration and cross-border criminal activity are likely to become increasingly central to the state’s political discourse.