Kolkata: Harassment and torture on allegations of being Bangladeshi are not limited to natives of West Bengal working outside the state. Even families who left Bengal nearly 70 years ago and settled elsewhere are now facing similar persecution. In a shocking incident, 14 members of a family from Odisha were allegedly pushed into Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF) on suspicion of being ‘Bangladeshi’ in December.
The incident occurred on Friday, December 26, 2025, when the 14 individuals were reportedly pushed across the Gede border in West Bengal’s Nadia district. More than a week later, the whereabouts of the family remain unknown during this chilly winter.
From a Two-Year-Old Child to a 90-Year-Old Woman, in No Man’s Land
According to relatives, those pushed into Bangladesh include four children, five women, and five men. They have been identified as Gulshan Bibi (90); Sheikh Jabbar (70); and his four sons—Sheikh Hakim (45), Sheikh Ukil (40), Sheikh Raja (38), and Sheikh Banti (28). The group also includes Sheikh Ukil’s 11-year-old daughter Shakila Khatun; Sheikh Raja’s three children—12-year-old daughter Nasrin Parveen, 11-year-old son Sheikh Touhid, and 2-year-old son Sheikh Rahid; and Alkum Bibi (65), Samseri Bibi (40), Sabera Bibi (35), and Meherun Bibi (25).
All of them are residents of Ambika village under Ersama police station in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district.
Indian Citizens With Aadhaar, Voter IDs, Birth Certificates and Land Deeds Branded ‘Bangladeshis’
Sheikh Jabbar and his family have been living in Odisha for decades and are registered voters there. Several of his children were born in Odisha. The family possesses valid Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, ration cards, PAN cards, birth certificates, and old land records. Despite this, they were allegedly branded as ‘Bangladeshis.’
Family members said the local police vandalised their homes and detained all 14 members on December 8. They said the family had been under detention and movement restrictions for weeks prior to that. A relative of Sheikh Jabbar told eNewsroom that the family had been detained nearly one-and-a-half months ago.
“The police did not listen to us despite us showing all the documents. Instead, we were threatened. We were not informed where they were being kept or what was happening to them,” the relative said.
Another relative, Sheikh Akram, mentioned: “We later came to know through media reports that they had been pushed into Bangladesh through the Gede border on the evening of December 26. This was an illegal pushback by the Odisha administration and the BSF.”
Family members said Sheikh Jabbar’s forefathers were originally from Namkhana in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal and had migrated to Odisha around 70 years ago for work. Jabbar and his forefathers own land in their names in South 24 Parganas. Over time, the family obtained all official documents in Odisha, and the younger generations were born there.
Another relative, Saiful Ali Khan, told eNewsroom: “They are all valid Indian citizens. They were detained simply because they speak Bengali. For nearly one-and-a-half months, there is no information on the family’s whereabouts. When we went to the police station, we were threatened with being put in lock-up. The police refused to even look at our documents.”
He added: “On December 27, we suddenly saw news reports that they had been sent to Bangladesh. There are four children, five women, and five men among them. We have no way to contact them, and the administration is not cooperating. We are completely at a loss.”
Bangladesh Did Not Accept ‘Pushback’ by BSF
According to a report by leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, Lieutenant Colonel Md Nazmul Hasan, commanding officer of the 6 BGB Chuadanga Battalion, confirmed the incident. He claimed that on the night of December 26, 2025, taking advantage of dense fog, the BSF opened the Darshana Nimtala border gate and pushed in 14 Indian citizens, including children and elderly persons.
He said all 14 are non-Bangladeshis and have no relatives or acquaintances in Bangladesh. He further stated that the BSF had earlier attempted to push them into Bangladesh through the Kushtia border on December 23, but the attempt failed. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has lodged a protest over the incident, and discussions have taken place between senior officials of the BGB and BSF.
“After completing necessary procedures, they will be sent back to India,” he said.
Political Outrage and Legal Action Planned
Meanwhile, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhankar Sarkar has expressed grave concern over the incident. He has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, highlighting what he described as a pattern of attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers, particularly in BJP-ruled states.
In his letter, Sarkar cited the alleged push-in of the 14-member family from Odisha and also referred to the killing of Bengali-speaking migrant worker Jewel Rana in Sambalpur, Odisha, after locals accused him of being Bangladeshi.
Human rights organisation Indian Justice Forum has termed the incident a “gross violation of the Constitution.”
Its chairman and advocate, Asfak Ahammed, told eNewsroom:
“This incident is a blatant violation of constitutional rights. These people have been treated inhumanely simply because they are Muslims. How can valid citizens of an independent country be pushed into another nation by branding them as ‘Bangladeshis’? The police and the BSF have completely disregarded Supreme Court guidelines. We have already informed the highest administrative authorities, and if no action is taken, we are preparing to move the Odisha High Court.”
We tried to reach out to BSF officials, but yet to get any response.
