India Accused of Unlawful Expulsions of Bengali Muslims to Bangladesh
India’s Hindu nationalist government has forcibly expelled over 1,500 Bengali-speaking Muslims to Bangladesh without due process, according to Human Rights Watch, intensifying concerns about rising religious discrimination under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported by Dawn News.
The New York-based rights group, citing Bangladeshi border officials, reports that the expulsions occurred between May 7 and June 15, as Indian authorities ramped up anti-immigrant operations in the wake of a deadly April attack in Kashmir. Though New Delhi blamed Pakistan for that assault, the response included sweeping crackdowns across India, disproportionately affecting Muslims.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at HRW, said India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is “fuelling discrimination by arbitrarily expelling Bengali Muslims, including Indian citizens.” She added that the government’s actions reflect broader anti-Muslim policies under the guise of controlling illegal immigration.
India has denied wrongdoing, insisting those deported were undocumented Bangladeshis. But HRW calls this claim “unconvincing,” noting that many deportees were removed without legal hearings or identification checks—violating both Indian law and international standards.
The report details the ordeal of 18 individuals, including a 51-year-old wage laborer who was taken to the border under cover of darkness. “I thought they would kill me,” he told HRW. “They were holding guns and no one from my family would know.”
Tensions with Dhaka have also escalated since Bangladesh’s pro-India government was overthrown in 2024. The new regime has accused India of breaching bilateral trust by offloading migrants without warning or coordination.
India has faced similar allegations in the past, including for the deportation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Critics say such expulsions undermine India’s historic role as a haven for the persecuted, and instead reflect a hardening majoritarian nationalism.
