A political row has erupted in Bihar after Janata Dal-United MLA Gopal Kumar Agarwal from Thakurganj referred to members of the Shershahbadi Muslim community as “Bangladeshis” in an official letter to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.   In the letter, Agarwal tried to justify his demand under the allegation that some individuals from the community were involved in adding “illegal Bangladeshi” names to voter lists and sought the removal of certain teachers from Booth Level Officer duties in Kishanganj district.   

The remarks drew strong condemnation from the Shershahbadi community and opposition leaders. Under the banner of the All Bihar Shershahbadi Association, community members submitted a memorandum to the district administration.  Congress National Secretary Tauquir Alam and MLA Qamrul Hoda joined the protest, calling the statement “hateful” and an attempt to disturb communal harmony.  

Alam said the community was being targeted for speaking Bengali, while Hoda said the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 2025 had already confirmed no illegal Bangladeshi immigrants reside in Kishanganj.  AIM Bihar president Akhtarul Iman demanded that Agarwal withdraw the statement and called for an inquiry into what he termed “false and inflammatory allegations.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)