ISLAMABAD: India is facing growing condemnation after deporting hundreds of people — mostly Muslims — to Bangladesh without trial, a move criticized by rights groups as unlawful and discriminatory.
Authorities from both India and Bangladesh have confirmed the expulsions, while human rights advocates warn that this campaign is rooted in ethnic profiling and ideological bias.
The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claims the deported individuals were undocumented migrants.
However, activists say many of them were legitimate Indian citizens, particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims, unfairly targeted under a broader anti-immigrant policy.
India’s aggressive crackdown intensified following an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists.
Though the attack was blamed on Pakistan, and sparked a brief military conflict, its aftermath has been felt most heavily by India’s Muslim population.
Fear Grips India’s Muslim Communities
Veteran rights activist Harsh Mander stated that Muslims in eastern India are living in fear.
He pointed out that people are being picked up, detained, and expelled in the dead of night with no legal process.
One such victim, Rahima Begum from Assam, shared her harrowing experience of being taken to the border under threat of death.
She and five other Muslims were forced to crawl through swampy land toward Bangladesh.
After being beaten by Bangladeshi authorities and threatened by Indian police, she was eventually sent back to Assam with a warning to remain silent.
Many of the deportees report similar accounts of abuse, forced relocations, and the denial of their identity as Indian citizens.
Legal and Ethical Concerns Mount
Legal experts have condemned the deportations, stressing that Indian law requires due process before any such action.
Civil rights lawyer Sanjay Hegde warned that expelling individuals without verifying citizenship and without the receiving country’s agreement is both illegal and dangerous.
Bangladesh reports that over 1,600 people have been pushed across the border since May.
Some were later identified as Indian citizens and returned, exposing flaws in the deportation drive.
Reports also suggest many Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have been forcibly returned in similar fashion.
Most of those affected are poor laborers living in BJP-ruled states, such as Gujarat and Assam.
Nazimuddin Mondal, a mason from West Bengal, recounted being detained in Mumbai, flown to Tripura, and pushed into Bangladesh despite showing valid Indian ID.
He now lives in fear and avoids leaving his home.
Rights groups say the campaign targets Muslims specifically, describing it as part of a dangerous ideological agenda.
