Family challenges deportation of 14 from India's Odisha to Bangladesh
The group included Mairun Bibi, her husband Sheikh Raja, their three young children and nine other relatives who were picked up by police in Jagatsinghpur district, according to family members
Fourteen members of an extended family living in India's eastern state of Odisha were detained in November 2025 and deported to Bangladesh on suspicion of being undocumented immigrants, relatives said, as authorities stepped up action against alleged illegal residents.
The group included Mairun Bibi, her husband Sheikh Raja, their three young children and nine other relatives who were picked up by police in Jagatsinghpur district, according to family members.
Relatives dispute the authorities' claims, saying the family has long-standing roots in India. Sheikh Rabani, a brother of one of the deportees, said his family had lived in India for decades. He said two of his brothers were released after producing documents proving Indian citizenship, while the remaining 14 were detained, says the Indian Express.
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Another relative, Rahima Bibi, said the family had moved from West Bengal to Odisha decades ago and possessed documents showing they were Indians.
According to relatives, the Odisha Police handed the detainees over to the Border Security Force (BSF), who "pushed" them into Bangladesh near the Nadia border. The family said Border Guard Bangladesh initially sent them back, citing a lack of proof of Bangladeshi citizenship, but the BSF later allegedly re-deported them through the Sylhet border.
Odisha police officials said deportations were carried out after verification and in accordance with the law. They said some individuals admitted during the process that they were from Bangladesh.
The action was part of a broader drive by the Odisha government against suspected illegal immigrants. As of Dec. 1, 2025, authorities had deported 50 alleged undocumented immigrants, while more than 1,600 others were released after documents such as Aadhaar and voter identity cards were verified, officials said.
The family said they were planning to move court, adding they remained uncertain about the whereabouts of nine of the deported relatives. The last contact with them was in early January 2026, when they were believed to be in Chattogram, Bangladesh.
Local political leaders have expressed differing views on the issue, with some calling for a permanent solution to concerns over suspected immigrants in coastal villages, while others have backed the government's policy of strengthening marine police stations to prevent infiltration.
