Indian enforcement of Bangladeshi deportation

Indian authorities have conducted several operations to identify and deport Bangladeshi nationals residing in the country without valid documentation. In West Bengal, police in Raidighi arrested a family of ten from Ferozepur, Bangladesh, who had reportedly entered India illegally six years prior. The group had previously worked as bricklayers in Bengaluru before relocating to West Bengal. Authorities have initiated the pushback process to return them to Bangladesh. In Gwalior, the Crime Branch apprehended 13 Bangladeshi nationals following intelligence reports. After failing to provide documents establishing Indian citizenship, the group was transported to Malda, West Bengal, to be handed over to the Border Security Force for formal deportation. Local police stated these actions follow national directives to identify illegal infiltrators. Expanding these efforts, Karnataka authorities launched ‘Operation Mukta’, a statewide initiative to identify and detain undocumented foreign nationals. During this operation, police verified the documents of 2,944 individuals and identified 105 suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. As part of this crackdown, 31 Bangladeshi nationals detained in Bengaluru were transferred to Malda, West Bengal, under the surveillance of 20 Karnataka Police personnel. These individuals are currently being held at the Karma Tirtha Holding Centre in Malda. Following the completion of legal formalities, they are expected to be handed over to the Border Security Force for pushback to Bangladesh. In a recent repatriation, nine Bangladeshi nationals—including two children, three women, and four men—were returned to Bangladesh via the Petrapole-Benapole international border. The group, who had entered India illegally approximately three years ago after being deceived by brokers, had been held at a shelter home in Dum Dum, Kolkata, following detention by West Bengal police and subsequent prison sentences. The handover was facilitated by special travel permits from the Bangladesh Sub-High Commission in Kolkata and exit permits from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Hyderabad.