Assam News: Man Deported To Bangladesh Under ‘Foreign National’ Suspicion Returns, Exposes Lapses In Pushback Policy

Guwahati: A sensitive case from Bilasipara in Assam’s Dhubri district has sparked widespread concern over the state’s pushback policy and the functioning of border enforcement agencies.

Mamar Ali, a resident of Pashuarkhal village, who was deported to Bangladesh under suspicion of being a foreign national, has now returned to India, highlighting serious procedural and human rights lapses.

According to reports, Ali was working as a labourer at a brick kiln in Numaligarh, Golaghat district, when he was detained by the Border Police on May 24, 2025. He was allegedly pushed across the international border into Bangladesh without proper legal procedures. In Bangladesh, Ali reportedly lived under constant fear and insecurity.

After nearly five months of no contact with his family, legal intervention by the Gauhati High Court, supported by social organizations, facilitated his release from the Holding Camp in Kokrajhar and his reunion with his family. Relatives described his return as a “return from death.”

Despite possessing valid Indian citizenship documents, including the 1951 NRC records, Ali’s deportation has ignited public debate about the accountability of the Border Police and the Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT).

The All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) condemned the incident. President Rejaul Karim Sarkar stated, “Under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s regime, the Border Police and FT courts have turned into factories producing ‘foreigners’ out of genuine Indian citizens.” He added that Ali’s ordeal is not isolated but indicative of a broader pattern of systemic injustice affecting thousands of impoverished labourers in Assam.

Local civil society groups have demanded a transparent investigation into the pushback process, emphasizing that deporting a legitimate Indian citizen constitutes a serious human rights violation and an assault on the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.