Indian Rights Group Protests Against Unlawful Border Pushbacks

The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), a prominent human rights organisation based in West Bengal, has formally accused the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) of attempting to forcibly deport numerous individuals into Bangladesh. The rights group alleges that border operatives are targeting people under the suspicion of them being undocumented Bangladeshi nationals across various frontier regions of West Bengal. In response to these developments, the organisation has announced a formal protest rally to be held in Malda town on 11 June 2026.

According to an official press statement released by the APDR on Sunday, 7 June 2026, the current border situation is directly linked to the political manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the state elections in West Bengal. The political entity had committed to executing a “Detect, Deport, and Delete” policy regarding suspected irregular migrants. Following the formation of the state administration, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari facilitated the transfer of land to the BSF and initiated the establishment of holding centres designed to detain and process individuals suspected of being undocumented immigrants, alongside launching the controversial “pushback” operations.

Humanitarian Standoff in the Frontier Buffer Zones

The human rights association stated that these administrative and security measures have caused a severe humanitarian crisis, leaving numerous individuals stranded in precarious conditions within the border zones of the two nations. The APDR described the prevailing operational tactics of the border forces as deeply concerning, noting a specific pattern of enforcement that impacts vulnerable demographics.

“The BSF is rounding up numerous individuals suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals across various parts of the state, particularly women and children,” the APDR press release stated. “They are transporting them to the borders of different districts and forcibly pushing them towards Bangladesh under the threat of firearms.”

The human rights body further noted that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is actively refusing entry to these individuals due to a lack of verified legal documentation. Consequently, a significant number of people, including pregnant women and young children, remain confined within the designated “no man’s land” or zero-point areas separating the two nations for consecutive days. The stranded populations are reported to be without adequate access to food and potable water, leaving them exposed to extreme weather conditions, including severe heatwaves and seasonal rainfall storms.

Diplomatic Impasse and Constitutional Violations

The APDR has criticised the BSF for abandoning its humanitarian obligations once the individuals are removed beyond the physical fence line. The border security agency maintains that because the individuals are suspected to be Bangladeshi citizens, the Indian authorities bear no institutional or legal responsibility for their welfare. Conversely, the BGB maintains that there is no verified empirical evidence to substantiate the claim that the stranded individuals are citizens of Bangladesh, asserting instead that they are Indian nationals and therefore outside the jurisdiction of Dhaka. As a result, these populations remain trapped between the armed installations of both border agencies.

The rights organisation has classified this ongoing impasse as an explicitly unconstitutional and unlawful manifestation of India’s “Three-D” (Detect, Delete, Deport) policy framework. Legal analysts from the association argue that the current deportation practices directly contravene fundamental protections enshrined within the Constitution of India, specifically citing Article 14 and Article 21.

• Article 14: Guarantees the fundamental right to equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all persons within the sovereign territory of India, irrespective of nationality.

• Article 21: Assures the absolute protection of life and personal liberty, stipulating that no person shall be deprived of their life or personal freedom except according to procedure established by law.

Calls for International Intervention and Policy Reversal

Ranjit Sur, the Vice-President of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, has issued a formal demand for the immediate cessation and total repeal of the unconstitutional deportation policies. The leadership of the human rights body has urged the central government of India to immediately repatriate all individuals currently left abandoned by the security forces within the zero-point regions and border buffer zones.

The organisation has concluded its declaration by appealing directly to international oversight bodies regarding the situation. The APDR has officially requested the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to investigate the ongoing border operations in West Bengal, urging the international council to intervene against what it defines as systematic state policies that compromise basic human rights along the international boundary