19 Bengal Workers Freed in Chhattisgarh After Alleged False Detention

Nineteen migrant workers from West Bengal have finally been released after a bewildering detention in Chhattisgarh, where they were held on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. These workers, primarily residents of Murshidabad's Samserganj and Sahabad areas, had traveled to Chhattisgarh in search of employment, engaging in door-to-door sales in the Bilaspur region.

Their release on Friday, September 18, 2026, followed a local civil court's order, bringing an end to a troubling ordeal that began earlier this month. The saga began on September 4, 2026, when Chhattisgarh police apprehended at least 23 individuals from their residences in Chunchiapara-Ganesh Nagar, under the Sirgiti police station, citing suspicion of their Bangladeshi nationality.

Police authorities maintained that the detained individuals had been summoned multiple times for document verification but failed to appear. This led to their detention and subsequent transfer.

However, the families of the detained workers paint a starkly different picture.

They vehemently denied the police's claims, asserting that their loved ones possessed all necessary identification documents, including Voter cards, Aadhaar cards, and PAN cards, irrefutable proof of Indian citizenship. Family members alleged that the police conducted illegal detentions late at night, disregarding the valid documentation presented.

Initially, the workers were taken to the Bilaspur Police Superintendent's office, before being moved to a holding center in Raipur, typically used for illegal immigrants. After days of uncertainty and legal processes, nineteen of the twenty-three laborers were granted freedom by the civil court's directive.

Efforts are reportedly underway for the release of the remaining four.

This incident has ignited strong reactions, particularly from political circles. Trinamool Congress's Rajya Sabha MP, Samirul Islam, swiftly condemned the detention, characterizing it as part of a disturbing pattern of harassment targeting Bengali-speaking individuals based on mere suspicion of their nationality. "It has been continuing for years.

Now speaking Bengali outside our State seems to be tantamount to having to prove one's citizenship," Islam stated on X, emphasizing the recognition of Bengali as a classical language by the Indian Union Government. He expressed hope for the swift release of the remaining workers, underscoring the importance of upholding citizens' rights and dignity. #BengalWorkers #ChhattisgarhDetention #CitizenshipRights