India’s ongoing practice of forcibly deporting ethnic Bengali Muslims to Bangladesh has once again come under scrutiny, this time by the Human Rights Watch (HRW). The HRW’s Asia director has criticized the ruling BJP in India for fostering discrimination by expelling Bengali Muslims, including Indian citizens, under the guise of labeling them as “illegal immigrants.” This has led to the unlawful deportation of Indian Muslims to Bangladesh, with Bangladeshi border guards subsequently returning at least 200 individuals who were found to be Indian citizens.
Official data from the Indian government regarding the number of expulsions is unavailable. However, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has reported that between May 7 and June 15, India expelled over 1,500 Muslim individuals, including women, men, and children, to Bangladesh. This group also included around 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, some of whom were identified as Bangladeshi nationals. Challenges in proving Indian citizenship, exacerbated by India’s citizenship laws and verification processes, have contributed to this situation.
The arbitrary nature of these deportations, bypassing legal protocols and international obligations, has raised concerns about due process and human rights standards. HRW has highlighted the disregard shown by Indian authorities in states governed by the BJP, like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, and Rajasthan. There have been instances of Muslims, mainly impoverished migrant workers, being rounded up and handed over to Indian border guards, who then coerced them into crossing the border into Bangladesh without proper verification of their citizenship status.
Reports indicate that some individuals who were wrongfully deported have since been readmitted after proving their Indian citizenship. One such case involved a former schoolteacher from Assam who described being forcibly taken to Bangladesh along with others by Indian border officials. Additionally, in May, Indian authorities expelled around 100 Rohingya refugees from a detention center in Assam, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documented another incident where 40 Rohingya refugees were forced into the sea near Myanmar.
Despite objections from the Bangladeshi government, India persists with its controversial deportations, disregarding international norms. While diplomatic efforts should continue, Bangladesh may need to escalate the matter on global platforms, such as the United Nations, to compel India to halt these operations immediately.