A Bangladeshi fugitive who had been living undercover in West Bengal for over three decades was arrested on Saturday night. The accused, Mohammed Hashem Mallik, had been posing as a monk in Nadia district’s Tehatta area, evading authorities since fleeing Bangladesh nearly 30 years ago.

Mallik, also known as Hashem Ali Mallik, is reportedly wanted in multiple criminal cases in Bangladesh. His arrest followed a complaint filed by Sub-Inspector Mohammed Abdun Noor Chowdhury of the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF), which triggered an investigation.

Acting on a tip-off, the STF, in coordination with local police, raided Mallik’s hideout and apprehended him. During preliminary questioning, the 60-year-old confessed to crossing the border to avoid prosecution for his crimes back home, officials said.

Mallik has been remanded to three-day police custody as investigations continue. The arrest has sparked political controversy, with the BJP criticising the Mamata Banerjee-led government for allegedly allowing West Bengal to become a "safe haven" for criminals and terrorists. 

“Bengal has become a safe haven for terrorists. Mamata Banerjee’s police didn’t know about this? What was their intelligence doing?” asked BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul. She also alleged that the state’s refusal to implement Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was aimed at protecting vote banks. The case has raised serious questions about border security and intelligence monitoring in the region.