The Calcutta High Court has sought answers from the Odisha government over the alleged detention of Bengali-speaking migrant workers from West Bengal, directing the state’s Chief Secretary to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate with Odisha officials to ensure the workers’ release.
The High Court has asked for detailed responses from the Odisha government regarding the alleged detention of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, questioning the legal basis for their arrest, whether any FIRs were filed, what actions have been taken since their detention, and their current whereabouts.
A division bench comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Mitra directed West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate with the Odisha government, forward the court’s queries to Odisha’s Chief Secretary, and ensure immediate support for the detained workers. The court has also sought a status report by Monday.
The issue came before the bench after petitioner Razzak Sheikh from Hariharpara, Murshidabad, stated that his son, Samiur Islam, had been arrested on June 30 during a “special identification drive” in Odisha while seeking employment.
His counsel argued that the arrest was illegal as no memo was issued, no court production was made, and the family was not informed.
Senior counsel Kalyan Banerjee highlighted that such detentions of Bengali migrant workers were not limited to Odisha but had also occurred in Assam, calling it a “serious issue.” Advocate General Kishore Datta, representing the West Bengal government, assured the bench that the state would extend full support to clarify the identity of the detainees.
Reports indicate that multiple workers from districts like Malda, Murshidabad, and Birbhum have been untraceable, and the West Bengal Chief Secretary had already raised the issue in a letter to his Odisha counterpart before the court’s intervention.
Meanwhile, according to West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board Chairman Samirul Islam, following the Calcutta High Court’s order, the BJP-ruled Odisha government has released most of the Bengali-speaking migrant workers from their custody.
After Odisha, the Delhi government is now under scrutiny from the Calcutta High Court over the deportation of six individuals, including a minor, to Bangladesh.
During Friday’s hearing of habeas corpus petitions, the Court posed serious questions, not just about the legality of detention but also about the legal basis and justification for deporting the group.
The six persons, all from Murarai in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, were reportedly “pushed back” to Bangladesh, prompting the Court to question under what law, and for what specific reason, these individuals, including a child, were deported.
The bench has directed the Delhi government to submit a reply by Wednesday, when the matter will be taken up again.
Reacting to the judgments, Samirul Islam, Chairman of the Migrant Workers Welfare Board (West Bengal) and AITC leader, called the detentions “illegal, unconstitutional, and a crime,” asserting that “Our battle for the rights of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will continue until the atrocities against them come to an end.”
According to reports, the Jharsuguda police in Odisha have detained 444 migrant workers for verification on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas allegedly residing in India without documentation. Those detained include workers employed in construction, mining, and various industrial units across the district.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which came to power in Odisha in 2024, has been running a sustained campaign alleging the presence of Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants in the state. The campaign has been steeped in Islamophobia, with Hindutva leaders repeatedly targeting Muslims in their speeches and linking them to “illegal migration” without presenting evidence.
