Murshidabad Workers reportedly detained in Chhattisgarh over suspected Bangladeshi identity despite families claiming they possess Indian documents.
Qalam Times News Network
Murshidabad, September 8, 2026 |
Murshidabad Workers who had migrated to Chhattisgarh in search of employment are reportedly among at least 20–23 people detained by police after they were allegedly suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals because they speak Bengali, according to their relatives and local sources.
The Murshidabad Workers, most of whom are understood to be from Sahabad village under Suti police station in Murshidabad district, had reportedly been living and working in Chhattisgarh for several years. Several of them worked as hawkers in and around Bilaspur and regularly sent money to their families in West Bengal.
According to relatives, police personnel arrived at homes in the Chunchiapara-Ganesh Nagar area under Sirgiti police station on the night of September 4 and took several of the workers into custody. Families said the workers had previously been called to the police station on three or four occasions for the submission and verification of identity documents.
Relatives further claimed that the detained men had Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards and PAN cards. Despite possessing these documents, they were allegedly detained while their citizenship and identity were being questioned.
Among those named by family members are Ejajul Sheikh, Safikul Alam, Islam Sheikh, Kiron Sheikh, Ebrahim Sheikh, Enjamul Sheikh and Mosikul Kha.
Afsana Bibi, the wife of one of the detained workers, said police took away the workers’ mobile phones when they were detained. According to her, their families have since struggled to establish direct contact with them.
She expressed concern about their safety and whereabouts, particularly because several of the detained workers are the primary earners for their households. Their absence, she said, has created uncertainty for their wives, children and other dependants who remain in Murshidabad.
Ramjan Sk, a contractor from Sahabad who employed some of the workers, alleged that the men were initially taken to a police station. He claimed they were subsequently brought to the office of the Bilaspur Superintendent of Police before being moved to a detention facility in Raipur.
The exact legal status of the workers, the grounds for their detention and the outcome of the identity verification process could not be independently established from the information available to the families and local sources.
The Migrant Workers’ Unity Forum has called on the authorities to intervene urgently. The organisation has demanded that the workers’ identities be verified through due legal procedures, that their safety be ensured and that those found to be Indian citizens be released and allowed to return to their families.
Asif Faruk, general secretary of the forum, said the families were facing considerable distress and called for immediate administrative and legal action to establish the facts surrounding the detentions.
The incident has also renewed concerns among migrant families from West Bengal who travel to other states for employment. Families of the detained workers are now seeking clarity from the authorities over where the men are being held, why they were detained and what procedure will be followed to determine their citizenship.
The allegations made by the families and the migrant workers’ organisation have not been independently verified. The authorities concerned have yet to provide a detailed public account of the detention, the identity-verification process or the allegations raised by the workers’ relatives.
