Bangladeshi woman held in Amroha for illegal stay
Couple entered India two months ago through Nepal after their love marriage; Indian husband booked, detained for providing illegal shelter to foreign national
MEERUT A Bangladeshi woman, identified as Reena Begum, along with her Indian husband, Rashid Ali, was arrested in UP’s Amroha for illegally residing in India, after she posted a facebook reel saying “Bye-Bye Bangladesh” that caught the attention of authorities. The Intelligence Bureau (IB), along with Amroha Police, detained the couple from Mandi Dhanaura area on Thursday.
According to officials, they had entered India two months ago through Nepal after their love marriage. While Rashid is a resident of Mandi Dhanaura in Amroha, Reena is originally from Bangladesh. Both were taken to the police station, where they were interrogated for nearly eight hours.
Rashid Ali, son of Munne Khan of Mohalla Katra, had gone to Saudi Arabia in 2019 to work at a hospital. He met Reena Begum, who was also employed at the same facility. The two fell in love and performed nikah six years ago, beginning to live together in the Gulf country.
On October 9, the couple arrived in Nepal on a tourist visa. From Mahendranagar in Nepal, they crossed into India through Banbasa (Tanakpur) in Uttarakhand and eventually reached Amroha, where they began living as husband and wife without legal documents.
In the midst of nationwide efforts to identify illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshis, Intelligence agencies intensified their digital surveillance. During this process, multiple reels posted by Reena surfaced on Facebook.
Amroha Police said some locals informed authorities about a Bangladeshi woman living in Rashid’s neighborhood. Around 8pm on Wednesday, IB and police officials visited Rashid’s residence for questioning.
Initially, Reena claimed she was from West Bengal. However, when officials confronted her with her Facebook videos, she broke down and confessed. Upon being asked for her passport, she produced a Bangladeshi passport valid until 2028 — meant for travel to Saudi Arabia but not for entry into India. She had no visa or valid documentation permitting her to stay in the country.
Both were taken into custody for detailed questioning. Circle officer of Dhanaura, Anjali Katariya, confirmed that the couple had been married for six years. She added that a case has been registered against Reena Begum under the Foreigners Act for illegally staying in India. Rashid Ali has been booked for providing illegal shelter to a foreign national.
