DHAKA, Oct 24: Bangladesh’s home ministry on Monday asked law enforcement agencies to investigate allegations that outlaws were operating Bangladeshi cellphones in India without international roaming service.

The directive came after business leaders raised the issue at a meeting with a minister, Lutfozzaman Babar, earlier in the day.

The minister said he would convene a meeting to sort out the issue after getting the report.

The business leaders complained to the minister that criminals frequently cross the border and operate their Bangladeshi mobile phones inside India without international roaming facilities.

“It is quite surprising that our cellphones remain active even 40kms inside India,” said a home ministry official. He said criminals can easily maintain their illicit activities by keeping phones active both in Bangladesh and India.

According to intelligence agencies, a large number of Bangladeshi criminals reside in Kolkata, Murshidabad and Jalpaiguri of West Bengal.

Sources in the home ministry said the government was considering asking cellphone companies to shift their towers further inside Bangladesh territory to check misuse of the facility.