KOCHI: When police picked him up on Thursday, the Bangladeshi national had already spent about two years in Kerala — working quietly in Ernakulam, living unnoticed, and surviving without a single valid document.
His arrest, however, raises a question police officers admit they grapple with daily: Is he the only Bangladeshi national illegally working in the state?
The answer, they say, is an obvious no.
Last year, Ernakulam Rural Police launched a special drive — Operation Clean — to identify illegal immigrants, particularly those blending in with the state’s massive migrant workforce.
In January alone, the drive led to the arrest of 27 Bangladeshi nationals from the Paravur area, many of them found in possession of forged Aadhaar cards and other fake Indian documents.
But after that major operation, such arrests have become fewer, not because the problem has disappeared, but because the challenges have multiplied.
Police officers admit that special drives can flush out many such cases, but identifying, prosecuting, and deporting them is a far more complicated process.
“Once we catch them, we produce them before the court. They are sent to jail. After completing the jail term, a deportation order is issued. Then the Kerala Police have to take them to the border and hand them over to the BSF,” a police officer explained.
“But with growing diplomatic tension between India and Bangladesh, deportation is going to be more challenging,” the officer said.
Ernakulam district alone hosts over 3 lakh migrant workers. Intelligence agencies suspect that among them are Bangladeshi nationals who crossed the border illegally and later procured forged identity documents to secure work and accommodation.
Docu verification poses major hurdle
A senior police officer recalled an incident that happened in one of the stations in Kerala that highlights the legal grey zones police often find themselves trapped in.
A Bangladeshi national, jailed for illegal stay, was released after completing his sentence. However, the deportation order was delayed. The police could neither re-arrest him nor legally release him. With no clear option, officers kept him at the police station.
“For nearly a month, he stayed there,” the officer said. “He even did small jobs like cleaning the station. We paid him for the work, and he was happy. But we were constantly worried -- if he went missing, we would be in serious trouble.” The deportation order finally arrived weeks later, bringing immense relief to the station staff.
Document verification poses another major hurdle. Many illegal migrants carry forged Aadhaar cards, indistinguishable from genuine ones. Authenticating them requires biometric verification, but most police stations lack the necessary infrastructure. This often delays investigations and allows suspects to remain in legal limbo.
Meanwhile, senior police officials said enforcement will continue. “Operation Clean will not stop,” said Ernakulam District Police Chief Sudarsan K S.
“We will conduct random inspections at work places and other locations in the coming days. Necessary action will be taken to prevent illegal stay. “
Central intelligence agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, are also closely tracking the issue.
But officers on the ground admit that as geopolitical tensions rise, deportation-the final step-remains the biggest challenge of all.
Recent arrests of Bangladeshi nationals
January 2025: 27 Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Paravur during Operation Clean
March 2025: Two Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Angamaly
March 2025: Three Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Ponnani
October 2025: One Bangladeshi national arrested in Kollam
Note: These are only some of the arrests reported across Kerala last year and do not represent the full number of cases registered in the state.