Kolkata police arrested a former leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in a pre-dawn raid on Saturday. The man, identified as Selim Matabbar, had been staying in a hotel in the Park Street area and posing as an Indian citizen for the past two years.
Matabbar, originally from Madarihat in Bangladesh, had obtained an Indian passport under the name "Rabi Sharma" using forged documents. Police recovered his Indian passport and an Aadhaar card during the operation.
"We are working with the regional passport office to verify the documents Matabbar used to obtain the passport," a Kolkata police officer said.
The arrest followed increased surveillance by intelligence agencies in Kolkata, prompted by recent unrest in Bangladesh. The police raid targeted a hotel on Marquis Street, a well-known destination for Bangladeshi visitors to Kolkata.
Acting on a tip-off, the police questioned Matabbar, who initially claimed to be Rabi Sharma and presented his Aadhaar card as proof.
However, inconsistencies in his statements led officers to demand additional documents. Matabbar then provided his Indian passport. Under further questioning, he confessed to being a Bangladeshi national who had entered West Bengal illegally two years ago.
Police sources revealed that Matabbar admitted during interrogation that he fled Bangladesh due to political conflicts between the BNP and the ruling Awami League.
Investigations are ongoing to uncover more details about his activities in India and the network that facilitated his forged documents.
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