Bangladesh Accuses India of Mass Deportation of Muslims, Religious Tensions Escalate

The government of India's West Bengal state, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is conducting a 'detect, delete and deport' campaign against Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, pushing hundreds to border checkpoints and detaining them in holding centers. This move comes just a month after the BJP's landslide victory in the populous state of nearly 100 million people.

In the village of Hakimpur, about 80 km north of Kolkata, dozens of Bangladeshi families, mostly Muslims, are waiting in unfinished buildings under scorching heat, lacking drinking water. Raisul Islam, 38, who came to India with his wife and two sons two years ago for medical treatment and stayed due to higher income, has been forced to surrender voluntarily for fear of harassment by authorities and locals.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the deportation drive targets only Bangladeshi Muslims, while Hindus and other religions are exempt based on a controversial constitutional amendment. Adhikari said nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens have been deported, and 836 others are detained in holding centers across all districts of the state.

Local police in Hakimpur said about 250-300 undocumented refugees and migrants arrive at the checkpoint daily, where authorities verify nationality and record biometric data. Other migrants, like Mirazul Ghazi, 42, said they came to India five years ago for work, but after the new government took power, their landlords asked them to leave for fear of attacks.

Diplomatically, relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have soured since the 2024 revolution that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a close Indian ally. Bangladesh has sent 12-13 protest letters to New Delhi over the issue. Bangladesh's Foreign Adviser Shama Obaid warned the deportation campaign could affect bilateral ties. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said it has prevented at least 18 attempts by India's Border Security Force (BSF) to push about 180 migrants across the border since June 4.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a bilateral mechanism exists to address the issue and New Delhi has sent over 2,800 requests for nationality verification to Dhaka. However, Jaiswal said many requests are pending response from Bangladesh.

Human rights groups have strongly condemned the campaign. Elaine Pearson, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, called the deportations 'illegal' and urged allowing detainees legal representation to prevent Indian citizens from being wrongly deported. Activist Teesta Setalvad criticized the authorities for 'acting on a prejudiced agenda' targeting a specific community.

The deportation drive is exacerbating religious tensions in West Bengal, where 27% of the population is Muslim. The BJP has long campaigned against Bangladeshi migrants, with Home Minister Amit Shah once calling them 'termites'. The policy aligns with the party's broader strategy to pressure India's 200 million Muslims, analysts say.