Malda: Four residents of West Bengal’s Birbhum district, who were allegedly pushed into Bangladesh after being wrongly identified as Bangladeshi nationals, have finally returned to India through the Mahadipur Integrated Check Post in Malda, bringing relief to their families after months of uncertainty.
The return of Danesh Sheikh, Sweety Bibi and her two minor children comes months after Sonali Khatun, who was pregnant when she was detained, and her newborn child were repatriated following court intervention.
According to family members, the four crossed into India on Wednesday evening after completing all legal formalities at the Mahadipur border and reached their homes in Paikar village of Birbhum district on Thursday.
The case had sparked widespread controversy earlier this year when Delhi Police allegedly identified six Bengali-speaking Muslims from West Bengal as Bangladeshi nationals and pushed them across the international border. The affected families consistently maintained that they were Indian citizens who had migrated to Delhi for work and had been wrongly identified as illegal immigrants.
After being sent to Bangladesh, the six individuals were reportedly detained by Bangladeshi authorities for illegal entry and faced legal proceedings under local laws. Sonali Khatun’s pregnancy drew significant attention, with a Bangladeshi court directing authorities to ensure proper medical care during her detention.
The families later approached the Calcutta High Court, submitting documents to establish their Indian citizenship. After reviewing the evidence, the High Court ordered their repatriation, a decision that was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court, paving the way for their return.
While Sonali Khatun and her child were brought back to India earlier, Danesh Sheikh, Sweety Bibi and the two children remained in Bangladesh until their return this week.
Speaking after reaching home, Sweety Bibi said she had been working as a domestic worker in Delhi when she and her family members were detained.
“The police took us into custody, moved us to different places and eventually sent us across the border into Bangladesh. We spent time in jail there before being granted bail. It feels good to be back home,” she said.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Sweety said she no longer wished to leave West Bengal in search of work.
“My children’s education has suffered because of this incident. I now want to focus on farming and raising my family here,” she said, adding that prison authorities in Bangladesh treated them well during their stay.
Danesh Sheikh, who had worked in Delhi as an e-rickshaw driver and later as a daily wage labourer, described his return as an emotional reunion with his family.
“I had not seen my wife and children for several months. I am happy to be back home,” he said.
Danesh alleged that despite repeatedly telling police he was an Indian citizen, he was taken into custody and deported.
“They told us we were Bangladeshis. We were frightened and had no idea what would happen to us,” he claimed.
The incident has triggered legal and political debate over the procedures used to identify suspected illegal migrants, particularly in cases involving Bengali-speaking workers from border states. It has also raised questions about the safeguards in place to prevent wrongful deportations of Indian citizens.
Officials of the Border Security Force (BSF), district administration and police have not issued any public statement regarding the latest repatriation.
