Allegations Mount Against India for Unlawful Deportations of Muslims to Bangladesh

New Delhi, India — India is facing increasing international scrutiny after reportedly deporting hundreds of people — mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims — to neighboring Bangladesh without legal proceedings. While Indian authorities claim the deportees were undocumented migrants, legal experts and activists argue the mass removals are unlawful and based on ethnic and religious discrimination.

The government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has long maintained a hardline stance on illegal immigration, especially from Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Top officials have previously referred to such migrants using inflammatory terms like “termites” and “infiltrators,” fueling fear among India’s nearly 200 million Muslims.

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“This campaign has left millions feeling unsafe in their own country,” said Harsh Mander, a well-known human rights activist. “Muslims from eastern India, especially Bengali speakers, are gripped by existential anxiety.”

Rising Tensions With Bangladesh

Relations between India and Bangladesh have become strained following political upheaval in Dhaka earlier this year, in which a pro-India government was overthrown by opposition forces. Despite the diplomatic shift, India has stepped up border enforcement, especially in the wake of a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu pilgrims.

Blaming Pakistan for the assault — a claim Islamabad denies — India launched an extensive nationwide security operation. Rights groups allege that the crackdown led to thousands being detained, many of whom were forced across the Bangladesh border at gunpoint.

Chilling Accounts from Victims

Rahima Begum, a resident of Assam in eastern India, recalled being arrested in late May. Despite having generations of her family born in India, she was transported to the border in the dead of night.

“We were taken into swampy terrain and told to crawl across,” she said. “They warned us: ‘Stand up and we’ll shoot.’”

Local Bangladeshis eventually found Begum and five other detainees, all Muslims, and handed them to Bangladeshi border guards. According to Begum, the guards physically assaulted the group before forcing them back into Indian territory, where gunfire from across the border added to their ordeal.

Miraculously, Begum survived and was quietly returned to her home days later, but not without a warning: stay silent.

Legal Experts: ‘Violation of Constitutional Rights’

Indian legal experts argue the deportations blatantly violate both Indian and international law.

“You cannot legally deport someone unless the receiving country agrees to take them,” said Sanjay Hegde, a senior lawyer based in New Delhi. “And you certainly cannot bypass judicial procedures to carry out such expulsions.”

Reports indicate Bangladesh has rejected over 100 individuals pushed across its borders, identifying them as Indian nationals. Bangladesh’s border force claims that more than 1,600 people have been forced across since May. However, Indian media puts that figure closer to 2,500.

In Gujarat, home state of both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, authorities confirmed detaining over 6,500 people in the ongoing sweep. Assam’s chief minister separately acknowledged that more than 300 individuals have already been deported.

‘A Systematic Targeting of Muslims’

Human rights organizations assert that this campaign has specifically targeted Muslims — especially those of Bengali descent — in BJP-ruled states.

“This isn’t random enforcement. It’s part of a larger ideological hate campaign,” said Mander.

Nazimuddin Mondal, a 35-year-old construction worker, echoed this fear. Arrested in Mumbai and flown to Tripura in the east, he was pushed into Bangladeshi territory despite showing valid Indian identification.

“I kept telling them I was born in West Bengal and had proper documents,” said Mondal. “They didn’t care. Now I live in fear of going outside or even looking for work.”

International Outcry Builds

The developments have sparked concern among human rights observers both within and outside India. Activists are calling for independent investigations and urging the Indian judiciary to intervene.

“These acts amount to collective punishment based on religion and ethnicity,” said one legal analyst. “It’s not only illegal — it’s deeply unethical.”

Conclusion

While the Indian government has yet to offer a full explanation or release data on the scope of these deportations, the rising number of testimonials from alleged victims, combined with Bangladesh’s reaction, raises troubling questions about the Modi administration’s adherence to constitutional protections and international human rights norms.

For now, communities along the eastern border continue to live in anxiety — fearful of midnight knocks on the door and uncertain of where their future lies.