India: A human rights group has alleged that Delhi Police illegally detained and tortured Bengali-speaking Muslims after wrongly labelling them as Bangladeshi nationals.
Activists and human rights groups have raised alarm over the alleged unlawful detention and torture of Bangla-speaking Muslim migrant workers by Delhi Police, in what they claim is a disturbing case of mistaken identity driven by discriminatory profiling.
On June 25, officers from Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh Police Station reportedly raided a brick kiln, a type of furnace used to bake or burn bricks, in Jhajjar, Haryana, detaining seven individuals, including minors as young as six.
The detainees, all Muslim migrant labourers from West Bengal, were accused of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
However, rights defenders argue that the men are in fact Indian citizens, resettled under a historic bilateral agreement with Bangladesh.
The arrests have sparked widespread outrage, with letters sent to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urging immediate intervention.
Activists allege that the detainees were subjected to beatings and held in custody without access to food, legal counsel, or communication with their families.
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“The Delhi police told them they were only verifying documents, and that they would be released soon. But once they were taken to the station, they were detained without explanation,” said Ajima, the wife of one of the arrested workers, in an interview with Maktoob, a South Asia-focused news outlet.
Fallout from the Land Boundary Agreement
The detained workers were part of a group of repatriated Indian nationals from former Bangladeshi enclaves, relocated to India under the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between New Delhi and Dhaka.
“This group of workers belonged to the settlement camps set up for those repatriated after the LBA. Their return was overseen by the Indian High Commission, and there are official records to prove their status,” said Kirity Roy, a prominent human rights activist based in West Bengal, speaking to Maktoob.
The LBA was a landmark resolution of a decades-long territorial dispute rooted in the 1947 Partition and the formation of Bangladesh in 1971. Under the agreement, India transferred 111 enclaves to Bangladesh and received 51 in return, impacting tens of thousands of people.
Roughly 14,000 residents of former Bangladeshi enclaves became Indian citizens, many of whom were relocated and promised rehabilitation and compensation by the Indian government.
“Despite government promises, most of these people never received proper compensation or support. They were forced to migrate in search of work, often to remote locations like Jhajjar,” Roy explained.
Allegations of Torture and Abuse
According to a letter submitted to the NHRC by Roy, one of the detained men, Jahirul Mia, was physically tortured in police custody. The letter claims he was beaten on the soles and palms with blunt instruments.
Mia was later released, reportedly in a “destitute state,” without his personal belongings.
“He was released two days later without his phone or money. We have no way of contacting him,” said Ajima, who remains separated from her husband. “Some people told me a few of the men have been released, but we don’t know where they are.”
The letter also details the continued detention of others, including women and children. Roy alleges that the police confiscated their mobile phones and money, and denied them medical care, food, and legal representation.
Despite multiple appeals to Delhi Police and state authorities, Roy said no response had been received.
The incident is part of a wider trend in India where Bengali-speaking Muslims—many of whom are Indian citizens—are increasingly targeted in crackdowns under the pretext of deporting undocumented migrants.
Delhi Police have claimed to have deported thousands of “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants” in recent years, but activists argue that Indian citizens are often caught in the dragnet due to linguistic and religious profiling.
A report highlights the growing number of such cases, and the lack of due process in many detentions.
“There is a deeply concerning pattern of arbitrary arrests based on assumptions about ethnicity and religion. These people are poor, unorganised labourers—easy targets,” said Roy.
Human rights groups, both domestic and international, have expressed concern about India’s treatment of minority communities, particularly in light of the current political climate under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As calls grow louder for accountability, activists demand not just the release of those still in custody, but also a thorough investigation into the conduct of the Delhi Police.
“This is not only a human rights issue—it’s about recognising the rights and dignity of some of the most marginalised people in our society,” Roy told Maktoob.
Ajima waits for news of her husband and the other detained men. “They just wanted to earn a living. Is that a crime?” she asked.
As India touts its economic development on the global stage, the plight of its internal migrants, especially those from marginalised communities remains a stark and pressing human rights issue.