Forced Borders: A Harrowing Tale of Deportation from India to Bangladesh

Fri Jan 09 2026 08:41:03 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Shona Banu's experience highlights alarming incidents of forced deportation involving Indian citizens.

In Assam, claims of illegal deportation emerge, with residents like Shona Banu sharing horrific experiences of being forcibly sent into Bangladesh. Amidst ongoing crackdowns, many fear losing their citizenship rights with little to no due process.

In a chilling account, Shona Banu, a 58-year-old from Assam, vividly recalls being taken by local police and forced across the border into Bangladesh at gunpoint. After living in Barpeta district all her life, Banu had been striving to prove her citizenship amidst claims of being an "illegal immigrant." “They pushed me over at gunpoint and I spent two grueling days in no man’s land, without food or water,” she recounted as tears streamed down her face.

Banu's ordeal began on May 25, when she was summoned to a police station and subsequently transported to the Bangladesh border along with 13 others. Once there, they were forcibly pushed into Bangladesh, where Banu claims she was detained in a makeshift prison for two days before being sent back to India. This is not an isolated incident; the BBC reports at least six similar stories from Assam where individuals have been sent across the border amid fears of being labeled "Bangladeshi immigrants."

The Indian government has reportedly pushed over 1,200 people into Bangladesh in May alone, according to sources within Bangladesh. While citizenship crackdowns are not new, the recent fervor has raised alarms, as many individuals find themselves stripped of due process. Lawyers warn of increasing apprehensions regarding citizenship rights and the misuse of power by authorities.

Complications abound in Assam, a state with deep-rooted migration issues and concerns over ethnic identity, leading to tensions among local populations. Many, including Banu, are caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare with citizenship registries, while others face deportation without substantial evidence.

Despite appeals to the Supreme Court, Banu’s future remains uncertain as she and others fear being uprooted again. Stories of families being torn apart have surfaced, with individuals like Maleka Khatun seeking refuge in Bangladesh without knowing when or if they can return home.

Banu and many like her continue to grapple not just for their homes but for their very identities in a climate where administrative misinterpretations can lead to dire consequences. As politicians promise to tackle illegal immigration, the urgency of protecting citizens' rights grows ever more pressing amidst rising incidents of forced deportation.