Eating and excreting in cuffs: Bangladeshi deportees’ harrowing flight aboard Trump’s flying prison

Thousands of feet above land, the plane cut through the endless blue, the sky stretching into infinity. For a fleeting moment, it offered the illusion of freedom — what it might feel like to soar unbound. Yet for the men on board, freedom was nothing more than a mirage.

On the trays before them sat meals they could not reach, steam rising faintly, each passenger manoeuvring as best they could to bring the food to their mouths. Their wrists were bound in handcuffs, their legs and waists secured in chains, locking them rigidly to their seats. They could not stretch, move or lift even a morsel without assistance.

This was how the deportees said they were forced to survive for around 50 hours during their journey from the US to Bangladesh.

"The entire plane was effectively a flying, high-security prison. With us were deportees from six different countries, including Pakistan, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia — all shackled," said Rabiul Islam, a deportee whose name has been changed at his request. "We were chained the whole way — hands, waist, and legs — right until the moment we touched down."

Rabiul was among 30 Bangladeshis deported from the US on 5 September.

Since Donald Trump's second term began in early 2025, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has sharply ramped up its deportation operations. Internal figures indicate that ICE is on track for nearly 150,000 deportations in the first six months.

Bangladesh has seen at least 180 nationals deported in recent months under this intensified policy, including the aforementioned 30.

The manner in which the deportees were returned violated international laws and basic human dignity, according to human rights advocates and the deportees themselves.

"No administration is allowed to use, authorise, or participate in the excessive use of force," said Rezaur Rahman Lenin, a human rights activist. "Such actions must be identified, discussed, and investigated. Many deportees' testimonies suggest that excessive force was used — for example, keeping them handcuffed even while performing basic activities such as using the restroom or eating."

Among others on the September flight was Mashud Ahmed, a man from Sylhet whose family was torn apart during his journey to the US. At the border, US authorities separated him from his pregnant wife. She was eventually released to live with an uncle under a temporary arrangement, where she gave birth to their daughter. Mashud, however, never had the chance to see his newborn's face.

Instead, he was deported to Bangladesh.

"The way they treated us is inhumane, disrespectful to humanity. The way they returned us was humiliating for us as human beings," he said.

Mashud had been living in Brazil since 2012 and had secured Brazilian citizenship, along with his wife. Both carried Brazilian passports when they set out for the US.

That document eased their movement as they travelled north, first flying to Nicaragua and then passing through a few other Central American countries before reaching Mexico and entering the US through Texas, where he was detained. 

Thanks to their Brazilian passports, the ordeal lasted only about 17 days — far fewer than what others described, many of whom had to endure treacherous routes to reach the land of the free — only to be detained upon arrival.

Rabiul Islam, for instance, had first travelled to Brazil on a work visa, intending to undertake the risky journey to the US. From there, he crossed Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, before braving the treacherous Darién Gap into Panama, and then moving on through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala to finally reach Mexico.

Like Mashud, he relied on smugglers and human traffickers for guidance. But unlike Mashud, Rabiul entered the US through Arizona, travelling with a mixed group of Bangladeshis as well as migrants from Africa, Latin America and Asia.

According to their plan, they surrendered to US authorities, believing it would be safer to register than to hide. This was one and a half years ago, under President Joe Biden, not Trump. Many hoped this meant a chance to stay, but Rabiul says the reality under Biden was no different.

He remained detained for a year and a half before deportation. During this time, Rabiul had a breakdown.

"They used to provide us breakfast at 4am, lunch at 12pm, and dinner at 4pm. Who eats breakfast at 4 am? And all we could eat were beans. Who eats beans in Bangladesh?" he said.

Rabiul also spoke of the enormous sums he lost trying to settle in the US.

"More than Tk50 lakh," he said. "I paid it all to the traffickers. Yes, they did get us to the US, but settling in the US was not in my destiny."

A similar story of massive financial loss came from another deportee, hailing from Habiganj, who also requested anonymity for fear of social stigma.

"Our family will be ridiculed in our locality," his brother said. "Everyone knew my brother had reached the US, and there was pride in that. Now, that pride has turned into shame."

Rabiul said he boarded the plane on the evening of 2 September, handcuffed and chained to his seat from the very beginning. Although he boarded in the evening, the plane only took off around 10 pm.

"Our first stop was in Romania," he said. "We couldn't know for sure, since we were stuck in the plane and weren't allowed to leave. Perhaps there was also a stop in Qatar. The first time we clearly understood our location was when we landed in Pakistan, because Pakistani inmates were escorted off the plane."

The plane then offloaded the Nepalis before finally reaching Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around midnight on 5 September. The deportees from the Southeast Asian nations had their misery further prolonged.

"When we were allowed to use the toilets to defecate, they only freed one hand so we could do our business, then handcuffed us again. But when it was for urinating, they never took off the handcuffs," Rabiul said.

"If I asked them to loosen the cuffs even a bit after hours and hours on the plane, they would just say, 'No, you are fine. Don't make any excuses,'" he added.

As for eating, the passengers had to lower their heads, while a fellow inmate beside them — since their hands were handcuffed in the front, not the back — would use his hand to push the food toward their mouths.

"That was the bizarre and inhumane way we ate," Mashud shared, expressing similar grievances.  However, he believes his ordeal is far from over as he now has to find a way back to Brazil without airport hassles and reunite with his wife there once she is deported.

"I had a job and I can build my life over there. But I don't know who to ask for help," he added.

Rezaur Rahman Lenin said that if someone is actually violating the law, then law enforcement agencies have the authority to arrest them and take necessary steps. "But what we are seeing appears different."

The Trump administration seems to be targeting a particular category of citizens, even some who have secured permission to stay, are in the process of seeking asylum, or are paying taxes in the US to remain legally. The first question is whether these deportations are truly legal and legitimate.

"Furthermore, the procedure matters. If someone is not aggressive, the use of handcuffs should not be appropriate for the situation. Excessive use of force against detainees is prohibited under law," Lenin said.

"These complaints should be filed within the UN framework, to which Bangladesh is a party. If the Bangladeshi state fails to protect its citizens abroad, it is deeply concerning and raises a question of dignity. It appears that international laws are not being respected, with both sides violating the rights of individuals," he added.