Amid SIR exercise in Bengal, BSF repatriates 1,720 B’deshis over past week

KOLKATA: Amidst SIR exercise in West Bengal the Border Security Force (BSF) South Bengal Frontier has repatriated 1,720 Bangladeshi nationals over the past week, all of whom were living illegally in different parts of West Bengal.

The individuals were formally handed over to Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) through the Hakimpur Checkpost in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

Sources in the BSF said that they have not seen any Bangladeshi entering Bengal after the SIR exercise. But the process of repatriation of Bangladeshis from bordering districts has increased after SIR exercise process that started in Bengal by Election Commission.(EC)

BSF officials confirmed that every Bangladeshi national arriving at the check-post must undergo biometric registration.

Their details are then forwarded to Bengal district authorities and the state police for verification of any criminal background. Only after receiving full clearance are individuals permitted to cross back into Bangladesh.

The thorough verification process, though necessary, has resulted in long waiting hours—often stretching into days—for many who arrived with minimal belongings, hoping for early clearance.

Local sources stated that no new Bangladeshi nationals have arrived at Hakimpur in the past two days. Those who came earlier were briefly taken inside the BSF camp for processing but were later asked to wait outside as their document verification remained incomplete.

One individual, who declined to share his name, said he had been living in India for the past four to five years after entering the country illegally. He worked as a madrasa tutor and is now waiting for clearance to return.

“I do not have proper papers, so I am waiting here until verification is done,” he said.