SIR panic at its peak: 300 people waiting to enter Bangladesh

Hundreds of people are gathering at the Indian border waiting to enter Bangladesh. Such is the horrifying picture of the Hakimpur border in the Swarupnagar police station area of ​​​​Basirhat subdivision of West Bengal. At least 300 Bangladeshi citizens, including women and children, have gathered at this border alone to return to Bangladesh.

It is known that they came from Bangladesh to India at different times and were staying in different states. However, due to the Election Commission of India's voter list revision process (SIR), they left India and reached the Hakimpur border to return to Bangladesh.

Some of them came to the border through brokers, some spontaneously. But they are stuck at the border due to the BSF's obstruction.

The stranded Bangladeshis say that after entering India at different times, they were working as migrant workers from Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore to cities like Mumbai. But due to the SIR that has recently started across India, they want to return to the country to avoid jail and fines.

Although no official statement has been issued, BSF sources said that such pictures between India and Bangladesh in recent times are not limited to the Hakimpur border. However, the number of Bangladeshis stranded at this border is much higher. BSF said that these stranded Bangladeshis were not arrested on humanitarian grounds. BSF's 143rd Battalion is examining their documents in view of their claim of Bangladeshi citizenship. Further steps will be taken based on communication with the Bangladeshi counterpart later.