Several workers and labourers from West Bengal have faced harassment and assault in Odisha after being called “Bangladeshis.” The affected workers, who hail from Murshidabad, Malda, and Birbhum, have long been working in Odisha but are now facing increased hostility.
On August 10, incidents of harassment were reported in areas including Dumuduma Rahamad, AIIMS at Alugadi, Panpada, and Shikhar Chandi. Workers were targeted, and some were even banned from entering certain areas.
Anisur Rahman, a resident of Koytha village in Nalhati, Birbhum, has been selling clothes in Odisha for many years. On Saturday, he was surrounded and harassed by locals who accused him of being a ‘Bangladeshi’. Despite showing his Aadhaar card, Rahman was still called a ‘Bangladeshi’. He said, “I’ve been doing business here for about 20 years. I have never faced such a situation.”
Rahman was allegedly attacked by a man affiliated with a Hindutva group, who slapped him and scattered his goods. He said, “One of my sons, Sakir Hossain, was also beaten up for being a ‘Bangladeshi’. He barely escaped.”
Videos of the harassment, which have gone viral on social media, show workers being mocked and asked to leave the area. In one video, a vendor is beaten for not producing his Aadhaar card quickly enough.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.