A significant number of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals are making a swift departure from India, massing at the India-Bangladesh border checkpoints in West Bengal. This sudden exodus is linked to the intensifying scrutiny of electoral records under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.
Sudden Spike at Hakimpur Checkpost
A noticeable spike in the number of undocumented Bangladeshi citizens has been reported at the Hakimpur checkpost in Basirhat, West Bengal. Carrying large luggage bags and essential belongings, the India-Bangladesh border crossing has seen an average of 200 to 300 migrants arriving daily since July. They are reportedly seeking to return to Bangladesh amidst growing fear triggered by the SIR of electoral rolls currently underway in West Bengal and other states.
Illegal Entry and Document Acquisition
A ground investigation revealed that many of the migrants who have left had entered India illegally years ago but successfully managed to secure official Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar cards and voter cards. In numerous cases, they had allegedly cast ballots in multiple elections.
Case of Raju Sheikh:
Raju and his family, who arrived via the Hasnabad riverine route by paying 5000 per person to touts , had successfully obtained both an Aadhaar and a voter card. The family, which was settled in Bidhannagar and worked as ragpickers and laborers, is now leaving with both Indian and Bangladeshi documents as the Election Commission of India’s SIR drive intensifies the verification of electoral records.
Case of Mehdi Hassan Ahmed:
Mehdi Hassan Ahmed, a visually impaired man, arrived in India 20 years ago for eye treatment and never returned. Living in Dankuni with his parents, he now views the departure as a chance given by the government, hoping to pursue a singing career back in Bangladesh.
SIR Fuels Political Firestorm
The ongoing daily return of hundreds of alleged undocumented immigrants is viewed as a direct consequence of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. This voter list purification drive has sparked a fierce political confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties.
TMC’s Stance: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly criticized the exercise, branding it a ‘super emergency’ and ‘votebandi’ (stoppage of votes), and has called on the Election Commission to halt the process. The Trinamool Congress also alleges that the BJP’s actions are an attempt to disenfranchise voters, linking the controversy to the broader political debate surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
BJP’s Stance: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has voiced support for the revision. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the current voter lists contain over 13 lakh fraudulent entries.