Indian authorities have intensified efforts to expel thousands of migrants, primarily Muslims of Bengali heritage, across the border into Bangladesh, exacerbating tensions between the neighboring countries. The deportations have increased notably in West Bengal since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the state elections in May, with reports indicating that many expulsions occur covertly under cover of darkness, often without formal repatriation processes.

Bangladeshi border officials have condemned these “push-ins,” describing instances where Indian guards switch off border spotlights at night, open gates in the fencing, and physically push migrants into the no-man’s land separating the two countries. These actions have left women, children, and families stranded in the narrow “zero line” area, caught between Indian and Bangladeshi territory. Bangladesh’s Border Guard director general, Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, has criticized this practice for its humanitarian risks.

India shares a lengthy and porous border with Bangladesh, a country with which it maintains complex social, historical, and linguistic ties. Despite this, the BJP government has long campaigned against Bangladeshi migrants, describing them as “illegal infiltrators.” Since coming to power in West Bengal, local authorities have rounded up and detained thousands of undocumented migrants, including Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar, in newly established holding centers.

Critics argue the deportation campaign reflects broader attempts by the BJP to assert Hindu nationalist policies, marginalizing Muslims within India. Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly has accused Indian authorities of forcibly expelling families into Bangladesh or leaving them stranded at the border without due process. She has called on India to halt these expulsions and work collaboratively with Bangladesh to verify citizenship and protect migrants’ rights.

Indian officials maintain that their actions fall under a “detect, delete and deport” policy targeting unauthorized migrants. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that approximately 10,000 Bangladeshi migrants had been deported since his tenure began, with nearly 1,800 awaiting removal. Similarly, Assam’s BJP Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pledged a stringent crackdown on illegal migrants in his state, emphasizing the perceived threat to India’s demographic balance.

The Bangladeshi government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since February, has strongly objected to the expulsions. Officials warn that Bangladesh, already hosting over a million Rohingya refugees, lacks the capacity to absorb large numbers of returnees. Humayun Kabir, Rahman’s foreign policy adviser, described the “push-ins” as an unacceptable unilateral measure. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam further warned that such actions could undermine bilateral relations, which have deteriorated since the ousting of former Premier Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Hasina, a Modi ally now in exile in India, was sentenced in absentia to death by Bangladesh on charges of crimes against humanity, with repeated extradition requests to India remaining unfulfilled.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs reports having referred over 2,680 cases to Bangladesh for nationality verification, many of which have remained unresolved for more than five years. A senior Indian official framed the “push back” policy as a consequence of Bangladesh’s lack of cooperation, asserting that formal deportation requires acknowledgment and assistance from the receiving country.

On the ground, migrants recount harrowing experiences of forced expulsion. Apel Mia, an undocumented Bangladeshi who lived in India for a decade, said he surrendered to Indian authorities amid rising hostility. He described being transported from a madrassa at night, escorted across the border under gunfire blanks, and left to navigate an uncertain fate in darkness without documentation or guidance. The human cost of this policy remains a subject of growing concern amid worsening ties between the two neighbors.