Malda: Three migrant workers from West Bengal’s Malda district have alleged that they were assaulted and threatened in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district after being branded “Bangladeshi.” The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday night under the Balikuda police station limits.
The victims — Anarul Haque of Tangta Ghat and Mohammad Hefjur of Bornahi village in Harishchandrapur, and Abu Hena of Malopara in Ratua — have been working in the area for the past few months, selling plastic household items door-to-door. They live in a rented house in Balikuda.
According to the workers, a group of locals attacked them while they were returning from business at Deriki Haat. “They snatched our identity cards, beat us up and called us Bangladeshis. They threatened to kill us if we did not leave the area,” Anarul Haque said over the phone. “We are now hiding inside our rented house and are too afraid to step out.”
The workers also alleged that around 20 days ago, Hefjur was similarly assaulted on suspicion of being a foreign national. Police had intervened at that time, they said.
Balikuda police officials stated that no specific written complaint had been received, but assured that the matter would be looked into.
Asif Farooq, State Secretary of the Migrant Workers’ Unity Forum, said, “We have contacted the local administration in Odisha. They have informed us that they are verifying the incident.”
State Minister and local MLA Tajmul Hossain condemned the alleged assault. “If someone speaks Bengali, they are being labelled Bangladeshi and targeted. This is unacceptable and condemnable. I will immediately inform the Chief Minister and ensure all possible assistance to bring the workers back safely,” he said.
Meanwhile, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) posted on X:
“How many more headlines will it take for @BJP4Odisha to act with urgency and responsibility?
Three innocent workers from Malda who have lived, worked, and paid their dues in Odisha for years have been branded ‘Bangladeshi;’ assaulted, threatened with death, and pushed out of their livelihoods. These people are not outsiders. They are citizens of this country.
Yet, time and again, their identity is treated like a crime. We have seen where this path of suspicion and hostility leads. The memory of Juyel Sheikh still burns.
His blood is a stain on the conscience of those who chose silence over action. @MohanMOdisha, is this your idea of governance? @BJP4India, is this the ‘Poriborton’ you promised in Bengal?
We are tired of seeing Bengali workers repeatedly targeted and forced to prove who they are. The blood of the innocent cannot become a backdrop for your
political theatre.”