Bangladeshi migrants return home as crackdown begins

After crackdown in many of the Indian states many illegal Bangladeshi nationals from different states are making a silent exodus

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

As diplomatic tensions simmer between India and Bangladesh, following the recent political shift in Dhaka, an undercurrent of anxiety is rippling through migrant communities across India. A silent exodus has begun, as Bangladeshi nationals who had entered India illegally in search of livelihood now seek a way back home.

One such group—28 Bangladeshi nationals, including 11 men, 8 women, and 9 children—was apprehended on Thursday near Dinhata railway station in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district. According to police sources, they were spotted wandering aimlessly, raising suspicion among local authorities.

Following routine questioning, Dinhata police confirmed that the group had entered India illegally a few years ago and had been working as laborers in the northern Indian state of Haryana. Fearing arrest amidst growing scrutiny of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, they left Haryana and began a journey back toward Bangladesh, making their way through Bihar and Siliguri before arriving at Dinhata—only a few kilometers from the international border.