Deported while visibly pregnant, 25-year-old Muslim woman Sunali Khatun was forced into Bangladesh despite holding valid Indian documents. She has now returned to India with her eight-year-old son after the Supreme Court intervened and questioned the illegal pushback.
Sunali Khatun, a 25-year-old pregnant Muslim woman from West Bengal, returned to India with her eight-year-old son after being forcefully deported to Bangladesh earlier this year.
Sunali, her husband Danish Sheikh, their son Sabir, and another family consisting of Sweety Bibi and her two children were detained by Delhi Police in June and pushed across the border on June 26, despite having valid Indian documents.
At the time of deportation, Sunali was visibly pregnant. The group, all residents of Birbhum district in West Bengal, was held for nearly a week before being expelled without due legal process.
The families were arrested in Bangladesh on August 21 under the Passport and Foreigners Act.
However, on October 3, a Chapainawabganj district court in Bangladesh recognized them as Indian citizens based on their Aadhaar cards and residential evidence, ordering their return. Despite this ruling, only Sunali and her son were permitted to return after ongoing interventions by Indian courts.
The Calcutta High Court had directed the repatriation of all six individuals by September 26, but following delays from the central government, the case escalated to the Supreme Court, which took decisive action.
Eventually, the Union government facilitated Sunali’s return on humanitarian grounds but disputed the citizenship status of the remaining four individuals her husband and Sweety Bibi’s family who remain in Bangladesh.
Sunali crossed back into India through the Mehadipur outpost in Malda following a flag meeting between India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB).
Speaking emotionally to reporters, she said,
“I am very happy to return to India… I just want my husband to be brought back safely.”
Trinamool Congress leaders condemned the incident. Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam called it a “historic moment” that highlighted the torture inflicted on poor Bengalis, accusing the central government of ignoring court orders until the last moment.
AITC leader Tanmoy Ghosh claimed the deportation reflected the BJP’s “contempt for Bengali identity,” stating, “Her only ‘crime’? Speaking Bengali.”
Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, who represented the families, expressed relief,
“A visibly pregnant Sunali Khatun returns home to India with her son. Mother India’s governments may make mistakes, but Ma, Mati, Manush, in this case are all wholly and undoubtedly Indian.”
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Upon her arrival, Sunali and her son were taken to Malda Medical College and Hospital for observation. Doctors confirmed that while she is stable, she is also suffering from anemia.
This case has heightened scrutiny regarding the treatment of Bengali-speaking Muslims in India, with critics alleging systemic misidentification as “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and violations of due process in deportation cases.