Bangladeshi nationals secured by 10 different police stations being sent from SMVT Bengaluru Terminal to Malda Railway Station, West Bengal, for deportation. They are being escorted by 20 police personnel.
| Photo Credit: TH
The ongoing Operation Mukta, aimed at identifying and tracking illegal immigrants in Bengaluru, has left nearly 400 migrant workers from West Bengal residing in and around Hulimangala in Electronics City anxious about their future after police served notices on landlords of premises allegedly used for unauthorised garbage segregation.
They said landlords have been served show-cause notices citing health and sanitation concerns and alleging that garbage segregation units are being operated without the required permissions. The development has sparked anxiety among the workers, who fear they may eventually be forced to vacate the premises.
“We have lived in this city for the past 11 years, working as garbage segregators and collectors under contractors. Now, the police come here every day asking us to vacate. Where should we go? We have no other place to live. We used our savings to build these makeshift houses,” said Allauddin, a worker.
Apart from waste collectors and segregators, the locality is home to migrant workers employed as construction labourers, daily-wage workers, domestic help, and security guards. Most depend on the settlements because they are close to their workplaces and relatively affordable.
Another worker said they were repeatedly forced to prove their identity despite having valid documents.
“We carry our ID cards with us all the time. Even some locals suspect us of being Bangladeshis as soon as they hear us speaking Bengali and ask us to produce our IDs. We have all the records and are not from Bangladesh, but we are repeatedly being targeted,” he said.
For some workers, the current situation brings back memories of a similar exercise four years ago. “This is the second time this has happened. Around four years ago, during a similar exercise, police forced us to vacate. We were saved after the intervention of the State Human Rights Commission,” said Jabeer Sheikh, another worker.
The workers said they were not involved in any illegal activity and appealed to the authorities to distinguish between illegal immigrants and genuine migrant labourers who have been living and working in Bengaluru for years.
However, Electronics City DCP M. Narayana clarified that there was no move to evict the workers forcibly. “There is no forced eviction. The police action is against an illegal garbage mafia operating in and around the area. We have identified such units and issued notices, as per the rules, seeking an explanation. These units do not have permission from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) or any other competent authority. Further action will be taken based on the replies we receive,” he said.
Published – September 03, 2026 06:59 pm IST
