Kolkata: Kolkata Police have arrested six Bangladeshi nationals from a hotel in central Kolkata for overstaying in India after their visas expired, the police said on Tuesday.  

Officers from Park Street police station raided the hotel in Collin Street, after receiving information that six Bangladeshis were hiding in the city in fear of returning to their country, as their visas had expired a long time back.

All Arrested Youths Linked to Awami League, Police Say

In the initial investigation, the police have learned that all these Bangladeshi youths are members of the Awami League.

After the unrest in Bangladesh, they fled to Kolkata on medical visas, fearing attack. Six valid Bangladeshi passports have been recovered from them.

Bangladeshi Singer Among Those Held; Guitar Request Draws Attention

The arrested have been identified as Abir Hossain, Mohammad Mamun Rashid, Mohammad Alimun Gazi, Azam Mollah, Faizal Amin and Zaidul Islam. Among them, Azam Mollah is a Bangladeshi singer.

Even after coming to Kolkata, he has been singing in familiar circles. After being arrested early on Monday morning, Azam did not want to part with his guitar. He also requested the officers of Park Street Police Station to let him sing. However, when they were produced before the Bankshall Court on Monday, the judge ordered that all six of them be kept in judicial custody till February 27.

Police sources said that the arrested persons are between 25 and 35 years old. They are mainly residents of Noakhali and Tangail in Bangladesh.

All six of them left the country separately last year due to the turbulent situation in Bangladesh. They came to Kolkata with a visa due to medical treatment for physical illness. They contacted each other here. Gradually, they started staying in different hotels. Some of them also looked for work here. Among them, singer Azam Mollah was also singing in the circle of acquaintances.

According to police sources, their visas started expiring in November last year. By January, everyone's visas had expired. But none of them wanted to return to Bangladesh, fearing for their lives. They started staying at a hotel on Collin Street about seven days ago, where they were arrested.

Even after their arrest, the arrested Bangladeshis, members of the Awami League, told the police that they did not want to return to the country. However, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said, "The process of 'pushing them back' to Bangladesh will continue as per the law after the end of their sentence."

(IANS)