Bangladeshi Nationals Illegally Staying In India Sentenced To 11-Month Jail, Fined Rs 500

Mumbai: Two Bangladeshi nationals have been convicted for entering India and residing in the country without any valid travel documents or legal permits. The duo had been arrested in January 2025 from Koprigaon, Navi Mumbai.

The duo, identified as 29-year-old Haidar Ali and 34-year-old Ashraf Ali, were sentenced to 11 months in jail and were fined Rs 500 each by a Maharashtra court. Since the convicts were already in custody from January, the court provided them a set off for their detention period.

The court noted that though the duo have no criminal antecedents, they violated Rule 5 of the Passport (Entry Into India) Rules, 1950.

During the hearing, the defence lawyer argued that the Bangladeshi nationals were poor and illiterate and had entered India only for the purpose of securing a livelihood. The lawyer maintained that they had no "ill-intention".

However, the prosecution stated any foreign national staying illegally in India poses a threat to the safety and security of the country.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said during a press meet on Tuesday that if the population of Bangladeshi nationals staying in Assam increased by 10 per cent, the state would automatically be considered a part of Bangladesh. Issuing a warning over the increasing immigration in Assam, the Chief Minister noted that 40 per cent of the population in the state are Bangladeshi-origin people.

Stating that in Assam, there are 1.6 crore such people who proudly call themselves “Bangladeshi Origin", CM Sarma questioned, “Now the question is, when the country has to face sensitive issues like Chicken Neck, whose country will these people's loyalty be with - India or Bangladesh?”

Also Read- 'Assam Will Become Part Of Bangladesh If...': Himanta Sarma Warns Over Increasing Immigration