Assam Pushes Rohingya Back to Bangladesh, Sidelines Legal Process

Arakan Now | 11 May 2025

Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the state is pushing back Rohingya refugees and other undocumented individuals into Bangladesh, Scroll.in reported.

Sarma said Assam had previously detained such individuals under Indian law, but has now shifted to a pushback approach. “We will not bring them inside the country. We will push them back. Pushing them back is a new phenomenon,” he told Scroll.in.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) reported the detention of 123 undocumented persons, including Rohingya and Bengali-speaking individuals, pushed back by India on Wednesday, according to Scroll.in. BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said their identities are being verified.

Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman said Dhaka is seeking direct talks with New Delhi about these pushbacks. He stressed that Bangladesh would only accept verified citizens through formal processes, rejecting the pushback method, Scroll.in reported.

The Indian Express quoted Sarma as saying that this pushback is part of a broader central government operation targeting foreign nationals, with Assam actively participating.