Migrant workers from West Bengal in Bengaluru have allegedly faced violence, including murder, rape, and physical assault. According to the All India Centre of Shramik Swaraj (AICSS), 13 workers have been killed, four minor girls raped, and four others assaulted. The organization has called on the West Bengal government to ensure justice and safety for these workers.
A number of workers from districts such as Murshidabad and Malda migrate to other states for employment to support their families. However, reports indicate that they often face violence and harassment while working outside West Bengal. Human rights activists have criticized the state government for not addressing the issue adequately.
Ranjit Sur, Secretary of the human rights organization APDR, condemned the state government, stating, “A large section of Bengal’s labor force works outside the state due to a lack of employment opportunities here. Recently, they have been targeted and labeled as ‘Bangladeshi’ for speaking Bengali in certain areas. Many of these incidents occur in BJP-ruled states. Such undemocratic acts of violence must not be tolerated in a democratic country.”
Many laborers from Nadia and Murshidabad districts work in Bengaluru in occupations such as rickshaw pulling and sanitation. Some have been working there for five to eight years. However, in recent times, cases of violence against Bengali migrant workers in Karnataka have increased, ranging from murder to sexual assault and physical abuse.
Samiul Islam, a migrant worker, shared his ordeal: “We are attacked simply because we speak Bengali. We are branded as Bangladeshis and physically abused. If a worker is killed or assaulted, there is no justice. The families of the victims receive no support from the government.”
According to AICSS records, 21 migrant workers from Bengal have been killed, raped, or physically assaulted in Bengaluru in recent years, including eight women. The deceased have been identified as Rasel Sheikh (22), Janathan Bibi (23), Motaleb Sheikh (30), Jesmin Khatun (17), Mithun Sheikh (26), Jasimuddin Mondal (23), Ariful Sheikh (23), Shahadat Mukammel Sheikh (41), Upen Das (49), Chamed Sheikh (35), and Inamul Sheikh (21). Halima Bibi (35) and Basir Sheikh (20) were murdered. Those who were physically abused have been identified as Rabiyul Biswas (25), Renuyara Bibi (25), Yusuf Biswas (32), and Kalimuddin Mondal (29).
A Bengaluru-based NGO sent a letter to the Migrant Workers Welfare Board of the West Bengal government on February 17, detailing these cases. The letter highlighted the rising attacks on Bengali-speaking workers in Karnataka, including incidents of unpaid wages and physical harassment when workers demand payment for their labor.
The NGO also stated that local authorities in Karnataka remain unresponsive, leaving affected workers and their families without justice. It urged the West Bengal government to intervene by providing financial and legal assistance to migrant workers facing violence in Bengaluru.
Samirul Islam, Chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Labour Welfare Board, confirmed receiving the letter and assured action. He said, “We are reviewing the situation and will take necessary administrative steps against the injustices faced by migrant workers in Bengaluru in consultation with senior officials.”
Victims of these crimes largely belong to Murshidabad and Nadia districts, with many reportedly facing discrimination based on their mother tongue. Migrant workers are allegedly labeled as ‘Bangladeshis’ for speaking ‘Bengali’.
R Kaleemullah, National President of AICAS, told The Observer Post, “There is an increasing trend of workers being denied wages and then brutally beaten when they ask for payment. Some have even been killed and their deaths disguised as accidents. In many cases, police and local authorities are complicit in covering up the incidents.”
He further alleged that police authorities misclassify worker deaths as suicides and manipulate post-mortem reports to suppress evidence of foul play. “Cases of unnatural deaths are being dismissed as suicides. A migrant worker who has traveled 2,000 km from Bengal to Bengaluru for work is unlikely to commit suicide. The police are biased in suppressing these cases. We are providing all possible support to the victims, but intervention from the West Bengal government is necessary for justice,” Kaleemullah added.
TMC MP from Murshidabad, Abu Taher Khan, expressed concern over the rising attacks on migrant workers across the country.
“Minority laborers from Bengal are being targeted in several states. The number of such incidents is alarmingly high. Every day, we hear of new cases of harassment. As long as the communal BJP remains in power, such persecution of minority communities will continue. The only solution is to remove them from power,” Khan said while talking to The Observer Post.
He added that he would discuss the issue with party leadership to create more job opportunities within Bengal and raise concerns about the harassment of laborers in other states. “I will raise the issue of physical abuse and harassment of Bengali workers in Parliament,” Khan said.
With the escalating violence against Bengali migrant workers in Karnataka, human rights activists and labor organizations are demanding urgent action from the West Bengal government. They urge authorities to provide financial support, legal assistance, and employment opportunities to prevent workers from being forced to migrate under unsafe conditions.
The victims’ families, meanwhile, continue to seek justice for their loved ones, hoping that their voices will be heard before more lives are lost.
