Lucknow | Lucknow Police have stated that no Bangladeshi nationals are living illegally in the city, following extensive verification drives conducted over the past several months. The findings contradict repeated political claims alleging the presence of large numbers of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in urban settlements, according to officials familiar with the exercise.
Senior police officers said the verification was carried out across all police station areas under the Lucknow Police Commissionerate. Special focus was given to slums and densely populated localities where it was alleged that Bangladeshi nationals were residing while posing as migrants from Assam. The process involved door-to-door verification, scrutiny of identity documents, and coordination with intelligence agencies.
Officials confirmed that deputy commissioners of police from all five zones reported no evidence of illegally residing Bangladeshi nationals. DCP (Central) Vikrant Vir said that comprehensive checks had been completed and no such individuals were identified during the exercise.
In the South Zone, joint operations were conducted by the police and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation near the airport area on December 1. Officials involved in the operation stated that no illegal foreign nationals were found. Similar inspections were carried out in Gomti Nagar, Phool Bagh Colony and Indira Nagar during November and December, including document verification of sanitation workers and daily wage labourers.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Babloo Kumar also confirmed that the verification did not uncover any illegal Bangladeshi residents. Police officials clarified that several migrant workers from Assam are legally residing and working in the city with valid documents.
The only exception reported was a case handled by the Anti-Terrorism Squad, which arrested a Bangladeshi woman in the Thakurganj area who was allegedly living under a false identity.
Earlier, in January 2025, claims had been made that nearly two lakh Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals were residing illegally in Lucknow. However, the latest verification found that most migrants in question originated from Assam’s Barpeta and Kamrup districts and possessed valid documentation.
Police officials said verification drives would continue periodically to ensure compliance with residency and identification norms.
