The curious case of ‘missing’ Bangladeshis in Maldives
· OpIndia
A curious pattern has been recently developing in the Maldives, where several people, interestingly from Bangladesh, have either been flagged as immigration fugitives or summoned by the immigration authorities to make an appearance. What makes this particularly intriguing is not merely the fact that they entered the island nation, but the trail they left behind, or rather the absence of one.
The individuals landed in the Republic of Maldives, but there seems to be little to no trace of their whereabouts, triggering the immigration department to act. Their sudden disappearance raises obvious questions about how they managed to penetrate the archipelagic country, their movements thereafter and how they slipped beyond the reach of the authorities.
Visit afnews.co.za for more information.
More strikingly, this is not an isolated phenomenon pertaining to any specific nation. Similar cases have surfaced in other parts of the world, where Bangladeshi intruders have crossed borders and successfully evaded detection, posing a grave challenge for the government to locate or find them for multiple years and even decades. The Maldives is apparently confronting the same menace at this time.
The immigration department has sent out notices either instructing such persons to appear before the authorities or to categorise them as “immigration fugitives.” Some even received multiple such directives after repeatedly failing to comply.
On 20th August, 38-year-old Bangladeshi Rahima Begum was summoned to present herself in person within five days during the department’s working hours from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Enforcement & Compliance Division, Maldives Immigration detention centre, Hulhumale Phase 2, was named as the venue. Furthermore, people were also encouraged to provide any information concerning her location by using a designated phone number and the official website.
A similar notice was issued for 44-year-old Bangladeshi man, Mir Ramzan Ali, a day earlier on 19th August.
On 16th August, sex male Bangladeshi nationals, aged between their early 20s and late 30s, were also served with these summons. These included 23-year-olds, MD Abu Thaher and Mujahid Hasan, along with 25-year-old MD Ikbal Hussain, 27-year-old Muhammad Hussain, 29-year-old MD Tajul Miah and 37-year-old MD Sharif Uddin.
They were told to present themselves before the authorities within a span of 5 days during the 8:00 am to 2:00 pm working hours at the Risk Intelligence Section, M. Star Cloud building 10th floor, Majeedhee Magu, Male.
On 9th August, a separate list of Bangladeshi “immigration fugitives” was published by the authorities. The accused ranged in age from their early 30s to their late 40s. They were identified as 32-year-old MD Imran Miah, 39-year-old Billal Hossein, 41-year-old MD Rasel Madbar and 48-year-old MD Anowar Hossen. The authorities had called upon the populace to communicate any information about them at the provided address and website.
On 9th July, a similar public appeal was made for 21-year-old “immigration fugitive” from Bangladesh, MD Fahim.
Notably, a corresponding release was made for Fahim a few days earlier, on 2nd July, together with 25-year-old Bangladeshi MD Naim Hosen. They were “summoned to appear in person within 5 days to Maldives Immigration during working hours, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm (Risk Intelligence Section, M. Star Cloud building 10th floor, Majeedhee Magu, Male).” The public was similarly instructed to share details regarding their whereabouts.
On 24th June, 42-year-old Bangladeshi citizen Ibrahim Khalil was subject to the same notice by the immigration authorities.
MD Imran Miah, who was labelled an “immigration fugitive” in August, also received a “notice to appear” at the Enforcement & Compliance Division on 11th June.
On 9th June, Abir Hawlader, a 23-year-old from Bangladesh, was pronounced an “immigration fugitive” and the people were told to disclose any relevant details they might have about him.
Of course, other individuals or nationals faced such notices, but Bangladeshi Muslims made up the overwhelming majority.
The problem hits closer to home
The issue also echoes a similar and growing concern in India over illegal immigration from Bangladesh. These people have lived in different regions of the nation for generations, gradually embedding themselves into local communities while acquiring forged identification documents, including Aadhaar cards and voter cards.
They have gained access to government schemes intended exclusively for Indians and, more seriously, participated in elections to decide India’s political future. Over 20 lakh such infiltrators are reported to be in Karnataka alone, a figure that raises profound fears about the possible scale of the problem across India. They have abused the country’s resources, acquired homes and properties and even procured passports using their fabricated identities.
Predictably, “secular parties” have facilitated these actions for vote bank politics, but the entire scenario has also been a result of a great violation of Indian laws by the intruders who obscure their real identities and remain under the radar of the centre and security agencies, much like the situation currently observed in the Maldives.
The severity of the matter was further brought to light during the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, which revealed the role played by Bangladeshi illegals in India’s democratic exercise.
In fact, the detect, delete and deport of the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal exposed how they had been comfortably staying in the country for several years, pretending to be Indians and were eventually pushed to return to their homeland.
Moreover, this does not mark the end of the difficulties posed by these intruders, who also occupy vast expanses of government property, such as national parks, forests and agricultural areas, to build their unauthorised colonies. Hence, the state governments have to initiate eviction drives to safeguard both the economy and the environment from such encroachments. Moreover, these Bangladeshi intruders have deep involvement in criminal activities, creating a law and order crisis for both citizens and officials.
Conclusion
The point of the matter is that no country can afford to let illegal immigrants enter and reside within its territory with impunity, irrespective of their religion. India is often criticised for protecting its borders and taking action against intruders, but such an influx needs to be regulated as it can create challenges that no government can afford to overlook.
Furthermore, the matter is about individuals entering a country and then defying the system and regulations. This has been a persistent problem in India, especially in cases involving infiltrators from Bangladesh, and the events in the Maldives offer another reminder of the difficulties that can emerge when the laws are circumvented.
Unsurprisingly, no law-abiding citizen would engage in such actions, raising concerns that these persons could be potential threats to law and order as well as internal and external security in addition to placing an additional burden on the country’s economy and resources.
Whether it is India, the Maldives or even the United States of America, every country wants to secure its borders, national security and interests. The mounting problem of illegal immigration from Bangladesh has emerged as a prominent challenge for both New Delhi and now Male as well.