Ex-Bangladesh Nationalist Party Leader Arrested in Kolkata

In a significant development, Kolkata Police have arrested Salim Matabbar, a Bangladeshi national and former leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), for residing in the city under a false identity. Matabbar had been living in Kolkata for over two years, posing as ‘Ravi Sharma,’ utilizing a fake Indian passport and Aadhaar card.

The BNP is a principal opposition party in Bangladesh, often at odds with the ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Matabbar’s unauthorized stay in India under an assumed identity raises concerns about cross-border movements and the potential misuse of Indian identification documents by foreign nationals.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of foreign nationals illegally obtaining Indian identification. In June 2024, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested four Bangladeshi nationals who had acquired Indian passports using forged documents. Investigations revealed that some had even participated in the Lok Sabha elections using these falsified identities.

Similarly, in November 2024, six Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district for possessing fake Aadhaar and voter ID cards. They had been residing in India for several years, having entered through West Bengal and subsequently procured counterfeit identification documents in Kolkata.

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These cases underscore the persistent issue of illegal immigration and the exploitation of fraudulent documents by foreign nationals. Authorities are intensifying efforts to detect and prevent such activities to safeguard national security and the integrity of official identification systems.