150 Bangladeshis ‘deported’ from Kashmir after authorities flag ‘illegal’ residence

At least 150 Bangladeshi nationals have reportedly been detained in Kashmir and sent back to Bangladesh over allegations of illegal residence in India, according to ThePrint.

The newspaper reported that the group was detained on Monday and flown from Srinagar to Bagdogra in West Bengal on a special Indian Air Force aircraft, before being handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) and escorted across the border into Bangladesh.

ThePrint mentioned it was the first publicly documented large-scale deportation of Bangladeshis from Kashmir.

Indian records put the number of Bangladeshis in Jammu and Kashmir at 504, including 458 in the Kashmir Valley.

A senior police officer told ThePrint that workers in Kashmir had been asked to submit Aadhaar cards for registration. Discrepancies in the information led authorities to send their details to Bangladesh to confirm their nationality, after which action was taken under the Foreigners Act.

The official said there are two transit points in West Bengal, Malda and Bagdogra, from where the BSF escorts people across the international border. It was not immediately clear whether the 150 people were sent through Malda or Bagdogra.

The reported deportation came months after a central government-appointed High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes, headed by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navalkar, visited Jammu and Kashmir and recorded 504 Bangladeshi nationals living in the region.

ThePrint also reported that the Jammu and Kashmir administration was preparing to deport another group of foreign nationals on Oct 7.

A later report by the newspaper said another batch of 150 people was being prepared for deportation, following the first group’s transfer from Srinagar to Bagdogra.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has increased vigilance along the border following reports of the deportations.

Lt Col Abdullah Md Kayes, commander of the Panchagarh 18 BGB Battalion, told bdnews24.com that the force had learned of the reports through various channels and was already alert to prevent any push-in.

He said border surveillance and patrols had been increased, alongside intelligence monitoring, and that the BGB was working with the cooperation of all concerned parties.