Even as India reiterated that the repatriation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants remained a “core issue”, Bangladesh has instructed its border forces to stay alert amid fears of possible “push-ins” from the Indian side following the BJP’s sweeping victories in West Bengal and Assam. Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) had been directed to remain vigilant along the Indo-Bangladesh border to prevent any forced return of undocumented migrants from India. The developments come at a time when the BJP has intensified its political focus on infiltration and illegal immigration in border states, making the issue central to its recent election campaigns.
The alert by Dhaka came shortly after India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded to remarks made by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman earlier this week. On May 5, a day after the Assembly election results, Rahman said Bangladesh would take “appropriate measures” if any “push-in” incidents occurred from the Indian side after the change of power in West Bengal. The term “push-in” was being used in reference to reports of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants allegedly being rounded up in Indian states and informally sent back across the border through Assam and Tripura, where the BJP had already been in power before the elections. With West Bengal also now moving under BJP rule, Dhaka fears similar actions could intensify along that border as well.
Responding to questions on the issue during a weekly press briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the focus should remain on the “core issue of the repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis from India”. He said India expected Bangladesh to cooperate and speed up nationality verification procedures to ensure the smooth deportation of individuals staying illegally in India. “We have seen comments of this nature being made in the last several days. These comments must be seen in the context of the core issue of the repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis from India,” Jaiswal said. He further added that India expected Bangladesh to expedite the verification process so that repatriation could proceed smoothly.
Hours later, Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed confirmed that the BGB had been instructed to stay alert across border areas. Speaking to Bangladeshi media, he said precautions were being taken in advance even though Dhaka did not currently see a direct threat of immediate push-ins. He also said fresh directives had been issued to deputy commissioners regarding maintenance of law and order. The concerns in Bangladesh have grown after BJP leaders repeatedly raised infiltration and illegal immigration as major issues during election campaigns in Assam and West Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari all strongly highlighted demographic changes in border districts allegedly caused by illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
The issue became more sensitive after remarks made earlier by Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the deportation of illegal immigrants. Sarma had stated in an interview that while formal deportation procedures required cooperation through diplomatic channels, some Bangladeshis had allegedly been “pushed back” informally at night in areas where Bangladeshi border personnel were absent. Bangladesh later summoned the acting Indian High Commissioner over those comments. Sarma also cited a February 2025 Supreme Court observation, which allowed district authorities to issue eviction orders against individuals declared foreigners, while noting that the mechanism for carrying out deportation remained unclear.
Bangladesh’s anxiety has further increased after the BJP’s landslide victory in West Bengal, where infiltration and illegal immigration were among the party’s central campaign themes. BJP leaders accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of allowing illegal infiltration and compromising national security. Suvendu Adhikari, who is seen as a leading contender for the Chief Minister’s post in the state, had declared during the campaign that “Rohingyas and Bangladeshi Muslim intruders” would be removed from voter lists and expelled from the country. With the BJP now in power in both Assam and West Bengal, Dhaka appears concerned that the political rhetoric may translate into tougher border enforcement and accelerated deportation efforts along the Indo-Bangladesh frontier.
