India’s Deportation of Illegal Immigrants Sparks Tensions with Bangladesh

India’s recent efforts to deport illegal immigrants have triggered a sharp response from Bangladesh, with officials in Dhaka calling it a violation of sovereignty and a threat to national security.

According to Indian media, 67 Bangladeshi nationals were repatriated on Tuesday, but 13 people were left stranded at the Zero Line along the border on Wednesday, unable to re-enter either country. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi forces have accused India of forcibly pushing more than 800 individuals—including Indian nationals and Rohingya—across the border since May 7.

A senior officer of the Bangladesh Army called the “push-in” tactic by India “unacceptable” on May 26, warning that the military was prepared to step in if necessary. Tensions flared again this week when Bangladesh’s Border Guard (BGB), backed by local villagers, reportedly stopped the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) from pushing 57 people into Bangladesh at multiple crossing points in Lalmonirhat district, which borders West Bengal’s Cooch Behar.

The Daily Star reported that the 13 people stranded at the Zero Line included women and infants. The BGB has requested a flag meeting with the BSF to resolve the situation, but so far, there's been no response. "We won’t allow anyone to be forcibly pushed into our country," a local leader told the newspaper.

This isn’t the first flashpoint along the 4,096-km Indo-Bangladesh border. Despite major fencing efforts—over 3,200 km have been fenced, according to India’s Home Ministry—many stretches remain porous, and the BGB has blocked further fencing efforts in the past, leading to repeated friction with Indian forces.

Bangladesh’s former Home Affairs Adviser, Lt. Gen. Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.), stated earlier this month that any undocumented Bangladeshi in India should be returned through proper legal channels. But the scale of the issue is overwhelming. Indian government data from 2016 estimated that about 20 million illegal immigrants were living in India, most of them believed to be from Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s political scene has changed dramatically in recent months. After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced into exile in August 2024, ties with India began to sour. Her departure paved the way for anti-India political groups, and even some extremist elements, to grow in influence. In Dhaka, there’s a rising wave of resentment, with many accusing India of having supported Hasina’s government to keep her in power for too long.

Now, the crackdown on illegal immigrants is being seen through that political lens. “India is creating a direct security threat by pushing people into our territory. This is provocative and violates international law,” said Sarwar Tushar, a leader from Bangladesh’s National City Party.

On May 9, the Bangladesh foreign ministry formally raised concerns over the deportations, urging India to follow established repatriation procedures.

India, meanwhile, sees the mass illegal migration from Bangladesh as a serious security issue. Several Indian states—like Assam, Rajasthan, and Gujarat—have been actively detaining undocumented immigrants in recent months. The surge in illegal migration has been blamed for shifting local demographics, particularly in Assam and West Bengal. In Murshidabad, authorities have even connected recent riots to the presence of illegal immigrants.

India insists it has every right, as a sovereign nation, to deport those living in the country without legal status. But Bangladesh’s increasingly strong pushback is turning the situation into a growing diplomatic flashpoint.