KOLKATA: Former Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader was arrested by Kolkata police on Friday night. The leader had reportedly been living in Central Kolkata under a fake identity for the past two years.
Following a tip-off, a team from Park Street police station raided a hotel in Marquis Street and nabbed a man who identified himself as Rabi Sharma, officials said.
To corroborate his identity, Sharma produced a photocopy of what he claimed was his Aadhar card as well as a passport.
A senior police official said, “Even after that, we felt something was amiss and questioned him further.”
After detailed interrogation, Sharma revealed that his original name was Selim Matabbar and that he was from Madarihat in Bangladesh, the police said. A local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) there, he fled from Bangladesh two years ago following a political dispute with the then ruling party Awami League and arrived in Kolkata.
After fabricating a fake identity and procuring false documents for the same, he managed to get an original passport, officials said. Since arriving in Kolkata, he had been working at a hotel on Marquis Street.
During inquiry, Salim claimed that he was an active member of Khaleda Zia's BNP in Bangladesh. Authorities are investigating how Salim entered India and the individuals who helped him obtain the forged documents.
The development comes at a time when ties between India and Bangladesh has been rocky over targeted attacks against Hindus and temples since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. Over 200 temples have been targeted, as per reports.
The arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on charges of treason earlier this week has added fuel to the fire, triggering widespread protests by the minority community across Bangladesh. Kolkata has also seen protests by religious groups outside Bangladesh's Deputy High Commission.
