The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has directed the creation of detention or holding centers in every district to confine alleged Bangladeshi and Rohingya entrants. The order, issued to state police at the end of the week, follows a central directive from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs requiring states to establish such centers for foreigners awaiting repatriation or identity verification. Similar facilities have already been set up in several other Indian states over the past year.

Reports indicate that many detained individuals in other states were later found to be Indian citizens, particularly Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal. Some detainees alleged mistreatment and inadequate food while held in temporary facilities such as community halls or office compounds. Activists have raised concerns about human rights violations and wrongful detentions.

Economist and Congress leader Prasenjit Bose questioned the necessity of these centers and demanded data on the number and identity of alleged illegal entrants in West Bengal. He stated that his formal requests for such information from the central government have gone unanswered.