Bangladeshi National Arrested in UP After 17 Years on the Run in Foreigners Act Case

A joint team of Saharanpur Police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a Bangladeshi national who had been absconding for 17 years in a case related to illegal entry and stay in India under the Foreigners Act , officials said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Zahid , son of Ahmed Fakir, originally from Bangladesh and earlier residing in Dera Bassi in Punjab, was arrested near Saifan Pulia following a tip-off. Police had announced a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to his arrest.

During the search, officials recovered a fake Aadhaar card , Bangladeshi identity documents, and other suspicious papers. A mobile phone containing photographs of identity documents was also seized.

The case dates back to August 2009 , when an intelligence unit officer lodged a complaint alleging that several Bangladeshi nationals had illegally entered India without valid travel documents such as passports and were staying and working in the country unlawfully. Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Kutubsher Police Station under provisions of the Foreigners Act .

Police said multiple accused in the case were later convicted, but Zahid, who was out on bail , absconded during the proceedings. Non-bailable warrants were subsequently issued against him by the court.

Acting on directions from senior officials of the Saharanpur Police, a joint team led by local police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted surveillance and arrested him on Friday.

Preliminary investigation suggests that Zahid had been frequently shifting locations across different Indian states to evade arrest and may have maintained contacts across Bangladesh, Myanmar, and other regions . Authorities are now probing his suspected network and are working to identify associates who may still be operating within India.

Officials said further legal proceedings are underway in the case.