The Delhi Police detained five Bangladeshi nationals who allegedly attempted to forcibly enter the Red Fort, one of India’s most heavily guarded heritage sites and the central venue for August 15 celebrations. All five have been identified as illegal immigrants, aged between 20 and 25, and are currently under intensive interrogation by Delhi Police officials.
According to a statement released by the Delhi Police, the individuals were working as labourers in the national capital and were not in possession of any valid Indian documents. However, the police confirmed that they had recovered Bangladeshi identification documents from them.
“All of them are illegal immigrants. They tried to forcibly enter the Red Fort premises. We have recovered some Bangladeshi documents from them. Nothing suspicious has been found so far, but the matter is under investigation,” a senior Delhi Police official said.
#WATCH | Delhi Police has detained five illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who tried to enter the Red Fort premises. They work as labourers in Delhi. The Police have recovered some Bangladeshi documents from them. Nothing suspicious found. Currently, they are being interrogated by… https://t.co/3Rvw5ZGU03 pic.twitter.com/uI31ZlOLed
— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia, the arrests were made at Nishad Raj Marg—an area close to the high-security Red Fort premises. “Delhi Police is very alert in view of Independence Day. We have implemented multi-layer security arrangements across sensitive zones,” DCP Banthia said.
#WATCH | Delhi | DCP North Raja Banthia says, "Delhi Police is very alert in view of Independence Day. We have made multi-layer security arrangements. People are allowed to enter certain areas only as per the level of authorisation granted to them. During a check, our staff at… pic.twitter.com/9mQy0qxx5X
— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025
He further added that during a routine check at one of the security points, five individuals were stopped by police personnel for failing to produce valid identity documents or authorised passes. “On further investigation, it was revealed that all five individuals were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh,” he stated.
The timing of the incident has triggered major alarm bells within national security circles, as the Red Fort is a high-security zone, especially in the run-up to the Independence Day address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Security agencies are now scrambling to ensure there are no further vulnerabilities, especially after a separate dummy bomb drill conducted over the weekend exposed severe lapses in internal protocols.
In that drill, a Special Cell team managed to enter the Red Fort disguised in civilian clothes and planted a dummy improvised explosive device (IED), which remained undetected by the deployed security personnel.
This serious oversight led to the suspension of seven Delhi Police officers, including constables and head constables, who were deployed at the fort during the drill. “The dummy bomb was not traced by the security deployed. This level of negligence is unacceptable, especially with Independence Day around the corner. Immediate action has been taken against seven police personnel,” a senior official confirmed.
This is the second such case in 72 hours involving illegal Bangladeshi nationals. On August 2, the Gurugram Police detained ten Bangladeshi immigrants who were living illegally in various parts of the city. Bangladeshi documents were recovered from them, and deportation procedures have already been initiated, according to Sandeep Kumar, PRO of Gurugram Police.
“Ten illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have been detained. Bangladeshi documents have been recovered from them. The process to deport them has begun,” Kumar said.
These back-to-back incidents have raised serious questions about the efficacy of India’s border control and internal immigration tracking systems. Security experts have long warned of the systemic failure in monitoring undocumented migrants, many of whom arrive through porous borders and settle in urban slums and construction sites across Delhi-NCR.
With just ten days to go before Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, this incident has set off a chain of emergency reviews by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Delhi Police’s Special Cell. Sources confirm that security protocols are being overhauled, and multi-layered screening zones are being reintroduced for all personnel and visitors accessing the Red Fort premises.
