Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir flew 150 Bangladeshi nationals out of the Union Territory on Monday, 5 October 2026, to be deported, officials said. A second group of 150 was due to follow on Wednesday, 7 October.
What happened
The group was taken on a special Indian Air Force aircraft from Srinagar to Bagdogra in northern West Bengal, where they were handed over to the Border Security Force for repatriation across the border to Bangladesh, according to reports by ETV Bharat, the Northlines and other outlets quoting officials.
Those deported had been working as labourers in the Kashmir Valley, the reports said, and had been held in a camp managed by the Srinagar police before the flight.
How they were identified
Officials said that discrepancies in Aadhaar details had raised suspicion and led to verification of nationality. A survey across the districts of Jammu and Kashmir identified about 600 Bangladeshi nationals said to be living there without valid documents.
The committee behind the drive
The operation follows the setting up by the Union Home Ministry, on 26 May, of a High-Level Committee on Demographic Change. The committee is headed by a retired judge, Justice P. P. Naolekar, and has been asked to study changes in population caused by illegal immigration and to report within a year. It has sought data from states and Union Territories, and the Jammu and Kashmir administration reported its findings to it.
Similar detentions of suspected Bangladeshi nationals have been reported from other states in recent months.
What is not yet known
- Officials quoted in the reports were not named, and no detailed official statement has been published.
- It is not clear what process was followed to establish each person’s nationality, or whether those deported had access to legal help.
- Bangladesh’s response to the handover has not been reported.
The wider debate
The removal of people identified as illegal immigrants has been a contested issue across India. The government says it is enforcing the law against those who have entered or stayed without permission. Rights groups and opposition parties have in the past raised concerns that Bengali-speaking Indian citizens, particularly poor migrant workers, can be wrongly identified, and have called for each case to be examined by a court or tribunal.
This report is based on accounts attributed to unnamed officials by ETV Bharat, the Northlines and the Kashmir Images. Details may be updated as official statements are issued.
Image: An Indian Air Force C-17 transport aircraft (file photo; the aircraft type used in the operation has not been specified). Photo by SD Singh, in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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