State and IIT-B building AI-based tool to flag illegal Bangladeshi nationals

During the launch of the Mahayuti manifesto on January 11, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “We’ll free Mumbai from Bangladeshis. We’ve deported the highest so far. With AI, we’ll identify and deport 100% Bangladeshis

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government, in collaboration with IIT Bombay, is developing a language-based verification AI tool that will analyse speech patterns, tone and linguistic usage to help identify suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas in the state, officials aware of the project said.

Mumbai, India - June 29, 2023: Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis interacts during his interview at Sagar Bunglow, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, June 29, 2023. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The tool, being developed by the state’s information technology department as part of a ₹3-crore project, is intended to assist law-enforcement agencies during preliminary identification. Officials said it would serve as an initial screening step before police carry out a full nationality investigation based on documents.

During the launch of the Mahayuti manifesto on January 11, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “We’ll free Mumbai from Bangladeshis. We’ve deported the highest so far. With AI, we’ll identify and deport 100% Bangladeshis.”

It is important to note that West Bengal and Bangladesh (formerly known as East Bengal) share heavily overlapping dialects, accents, vocabulary and pronunciation, since they are linguistically part of the same region that was divided politically. As a result, many Bengalis from West Bengal may sound “Bangladeshi” to outsiders, and sometimes even to fellow Bengali speakers. The overlap is especially pronounced in border districts such as North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad and Malda, where speech patterns naturally blend across regions.

However, the officials claimed the system will use linguistic markers such as accent, tone and word choices to distinguish Bangladeshi nationals from Bengali-speaking residents of West Bengal.

Once the tool indicates that a suspected person may not be from West Bengal, enforcement agencies can then proceed with further investigation to establish nationality through documentary verification. The tool is currently in an experimental phase.

As of mid-January 2026, it was reported to have a 60% accuracy rate. The government aims to achieve 100% accuracy within four to six months.

Officials said a key challenge for police in such cases is that many suspected Bangladeshi nationals possess identity documents such as Aadhaar cards and ration cards, making it difficult to establish whether the documents are genuine.

A home department official said the tool would help the police build stronger grounds for further scrutiny. “At present, suspected Bangladeshis go scot-free by producing documents, fake or otherwise, and the police cannot question them further as they are left with no firm evidence for further scrutiny,” the official said. “The tool will give them firm ground on the basis of speech patterns, tone and language usage.”

Another official said police are often forced to stall action once documents are presented, even when they suspect those papers are forged. “In many cases, police officials know that the documents are fake, but they cannot go ahead to prove their invalidity as it is a tedious process,” the official said. “If it is established with the help of the tool that the person belongs to Bangladesh, it becomes easier to pursue investigation into fake documents and prove the nationality.”

CM Fadnavis had said the tool will be ready for use within the next six months, though senior officials from the IT department expressed reservations about the timeline. “It is at the initial stage and may take a little longer. As the tool may not stand legal scrutiny and may be challenged,” an officer said, requesting anonymity.

“We have been working on it for the last three months and its reliability has proven to be 60%. In the next six months it will be foolproof and in a position to use,” said Fadnavis, adding that the government had also set up a detention centre to hold such persons before deportation.

The chief minister also said police had identified a pattern in which alleged infiltrators first enter West Bengal, obtain forged documents, and then travel to different parts of the country while accessing government schemes.