File picture of Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan. Credit: X/@PrithivirajBJP

The Odisha government on Monday (May 19, 2025) announced that individuals from Bangladesh would be identified and removed from employment across the State.

“We have a stated position to identify Bangladeshis staying illegally in Odisha. Now, we will make sure that no Bangladeshi is engaged through any outsourcing companies in the State,” said Prithiviraj Harichandan, State Law Minister.

When contacted, Pinak Mishra, Deputy Inspector General of Police of Special Task Force, said, “If Bangladeshis are involved in any organised crime, we will surely track them.”

Initially, the focus of identification would be on the six coastal districts accessible to Bangladeshis through the sea route.

Last year, the Odisha government directed all district administrations to carry out a comprehensive identification drive to trace Bangladeshi intruders across the State. Officials were instructed to form joint teams comprising personnel from block offices, tehsils, and police stations to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, following unrest in Bangladesh.

In a response submitted in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, the government stated that 3,740 Bangladeshi nationals had been identified as staying illegally in the State, and their deportation was under consideration.

Of these, the highest number— 1,649—was found in Kendrapara district, followed by 1,112 in Jagatsinghpur. Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts reported 655 and 106 illegal Bangladeshi residents, respectively. Intrusion by Bangladeshi nationals was believed to occur primarily via the sea route along Odisha’s eastern coastline.