India illegally deporting Muslim citizens at gunpoint to Bangladesh
The Indian government is facing serious allegations of illegally deporting Indian Muslim citizens to Bangladesh, raising concerns of growing persecution, according to a Guardian report.
Human rights organisations report that thousands, mostly Muslims suspected of being undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, have been detained by police across India in recent weeks. Many were reportedly denied proper legal procedures before being sent across the border to Bangladesh.
Several deportees and legal experts claim that Indian citizens are among those expelled. Witnesses say that those who resisted were threatened at gunpoint by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) during these forced deportations.
Bangladeshi border guards have since returned around 200 people after verifying their Indian citizenship, with some individuals forced to trek long distances through hazardous terrain to return home.
“India is forcibly pushing its own citizens—mainly Muslims and economically disadvantaged groups—into Bangladesh without following any legal processes,” said Taskin Fahmina, a senior researcher at Bangladesh-based human rights group Odhikar. “Such actions are violations of both national and international law.”
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has formally objected, sending letters to Indian authorities demanding an end to these deportations and calling for a return to prior verification processes. Officials say their requests have so far been ignored.
Among those caught up in the deportations was 62-year-old Hazera Khatun, a physically disabled grandmother. Her daughter, Jorina Begum, insists they have documentation proving that two generations of their family were born in India. “How can she be Bangladeshi?” she asked.
Khatun was detained by police on 25 May and transported with 14 other Muslims to the Bangladesh border under the cover of night. She alleges that BSF officers then forced them to cross the boundary.
The increase in detentions coincided with India’s launch of Operation Sindhoor in May, following strikes on Pakistan in response to a deadly militant attack in Kashmir. India vowed to intensify actions against groups it accuses of supporting terrorism, but human rights advocates argue that vulnerable communities within India are now bearing the brunt of those policies.
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