Kolkata, 29 May (H.S.): The West Bengal government has set up holding centres, or temporary detention camps, in different parts of the state to house people suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals or Rohingyas. The state administration on Friday released detailed information regarding the number of such centres and the detainees lodged there.
According to an official statement issued on Friday morning, a total of 11 holding centres have so far been established across West Bengal. Some of these camps are being operated at the police district level, while others are functioning under administrative district authorities.
At present, holding centres have been set up in the police districts of Baruipur, Sundarban, Basirhat, Bangaon, Barasat, Murshidabad, Jangipur and Krishnanagar. In addition, centres have also been established in the districts of Malda, Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur.
The highest number of holding centres has been set up in the Basirhat police district, where three camps are currently operational. According to the administration, the largest number of people suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals or Rohingyas have also been detained from this region. All other districts currently have one holding centre each.
Government data revealed that a total of 335 people are presently being housed in holding centres across the state. Among them are 148 men, 99 women and 88 children. The holding centre in Murshidabad police district alone is housing 19 detainees, while the number of detainees in all other centres is reportedly below 10.
Meanwhile, work is progressing rapidly to convert the Karmatirtha building at Rampur in the Tapan area of South Dinajpur district into another holding centre for administrative use.
Notably, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed that people from Bangladesh or other countries who are caught in the state will not be formally arrested. Instead, they will be kept in holding centres and later handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for deportation to their respective countries.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
