Guwahati: The BJP led NDA government in Assam has repatriated over 1679 Bangladeshi nationals from the state in the last two years. Replying to a written question put by AIUDF MLA Badruddin Ajmal, CM and Home Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the assembly that A total of 1,679 illegal immigrants were sent back to Bangladesh between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026.
AIUDF chief and Binnakandi MLA Badruddin Ajmal raised a question in the Assam Assembly asking the Home and Political Department for details on the push-back of illegal immigrants to Bangladesh over the last two years. He wanted to know how many people were deported, the process followed to identify and declare them as foreigners, whether any of them had approached the courts, and whether the government had formally coordinated with Bangladesh before sending them back. He also raised concerns about possible human rights violations if people were being pushed back secretly, without any official arrangement with the neighbouring country.
Responding on behalf of the Home and Political Department, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma replied that Athqa total of 1,679 illegal immigrants were sent back to Bangladesh between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026. The same annexure also carries details of the authority that identified or declared each person as an illegal immigrant. The government clarified that no one is deported if their case is still pending before the High Court or Supreme Court. However, it does not have any record of whether those already deported had earlier filed appeals in higher courts.
Legal procedure followed
The government explained that citizenship is a subject handled by the Centre, not the state. CM Sarma informed the state assembly that the government is just following the instructions and circulars issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs from time to time, including circulars from 2009, 2020, and 2025, along with a state government order from October 2025, all implemented under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. The state clarified that it does not deal directly with Bangladesh or any other foreign government — that is entirely the Centre’s responsibility.
The government maintained that it only carries out the laws and directions passed down by the Centre, and that adequate safeguards are followed to ensure no individual’s human rights are violated during the process.
It should be mentioned that the opposition parties, mainly Congress and AIUDF, are constantly raising and opposing the push back process going on in the state. The opposition are levelling the process inhumanity and demanding an immediate halt to it. But the Assam government has clarified that those who were deported are under the category of Declared Foreign Nationals (DFN), Convicted Foreign Nationals (CFN) by Foreigners Tribunal, Illegal Immigrants or Fresh Infiltrators.
