What's behind Bangladesh protesting India’s pushback policy amid diplomatic strains and migrant crisis

By Nava Thakuria*

Following a series of incidents and related media reports, an adviser in Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, announced that Dhaka had officially protested India’s pushback policy—an initiative by Indian agencies to deport undocumented Bangladeshi migrants. Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Touhid Hossain, added that a formal letter had been sent to the Union Government in New Delhi, requesting that any deportations be conducted through official channels following proper verification. He emphasized the importance of confirming the citizenship status of each individual before their return.

Dhaka is also preparing to issue another diplomatic note to New Delhi regarding the continued pushback of individuals through border points in Khagrachari, Kurigram, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Comilla, Feni, and Jhenidah. Recently, India’s Ministry of External Affairs forwarded a list of over 2,365 suspected Bangladeshi nationals allegedly residing illegally in India for verification. On 22 May, a ministry spokesperson stated that once their nationality is confirmed, these individuals would be deported. Hossain confirmed receipt of the list and assured that each case would be carefully reviewed.

Earlier, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) claimed that since early May, India had pushed nearly 2,000 individuals into Bangladeshi territory under its new pushback initiative. BGB Director General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui stated that Bengali-speaking Muslims and some Rohingya refugees (originally from Myanmar’s Arakan province) were forcibly sent across the border by India’s Border Security Force (BSF), without any prior coordination. Siddiqui alleged that many of these individuals had lived in India for decades and even had children who acquired Indian citizenship by birth, yet were deported despite Dhaka's objections.

Some Dhaka-based political analysts believe that New Delhi’s aggressive deportation policy is intended to pressure the caretaker government, which was formed following the sudden collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on 5 August 2024. The fall came in the wake of a massive student-led uprising that evolved into a nationwide movement. The political upheaval in Bangladesh has placed New Delhi in a difficult position, as Hasina had long been seen as an ally of India during her 16-year tenure. She was airlifted out of Dhaka and given shelter in India after a brief request. However, India has yet to officially clarify whether formal asylum has been granted to the ousted leader, despite nearly ten months passing since her departure—perhaps due to her growing unpopularity within India.

Though India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, the country currently shelters over 20 million migrants from Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and other nations. Indian society has traditionally extended support to migrants, inspired by the ancient Vedic philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (“the world is one family”). However, the Indian Supreme Court has recently taken a firm stance against illegal immigration. On 4 February, the Court criticized the Assam government for delays in deporting declared foreign nationals, particularly those held at the Matia detention centre in Goalpara since January 2023.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma brought the issue into the public spotlight, stating that his government was actively deporting illegal infiltrators, including Rohingyas, to Bangladesh. On 10 May, Sarma told reporters in Guwahati that the pushback policy was being implemented to address the issue of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants and declared foreign nationals. He cited a Supreme Court directive instructing the government to deport those who had not filed review petitions. Sarma also confirmed that around 100 individuals, including some transported from Delhi, had been deported under the policy.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) update in Assam previously identified over 1.9 million undocumented individuals. Hitesh Devsarma, a retired IAS officer who oversaw the process, claimed that illegal Bangladeshi migrants and others could be identified through simple procedures used in the NRC exercise. He accused Prateek Hajela, the first NRC coordinator, of tampering with software to include hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants on the final list for personal gain. Devsarma filed a police complaint against Hajela and called for a comprehensive re-verification of the NRC supplementary list before it is finalized and implemented.

Years ago, a Guwahati-based TV journalist was publicly criticized on social media for his alleged involvement in the NRC scam. The journalist supported finalizing the draft NRC without further verification and publicly praised Hajela on air for his role. However, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) later identified Hajela’s involvement in financial irregularities during the NRC update, which had cost the Indian government Rs. 1,600 crores. Despite the revelations, the journalist—who has never responded to the accusations—continues to project himself as a champion of honesty and integrity. A thorough investigation into the NRC update’s irregularities could expose many such high-level individuals who prioritized personal gain over national interest and security.

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*Senior journalist based in Guwahati

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