Muslim Evictions in India, Allegations of Pushback Across the Border into Bangladesh

The eviction drive against Muslims in India’s Assam state has taken a new turn. In recent weeks, thousands of Muslim families have had their homes demolished across various parts of the state. Many of those affected are reportedly being sent across the border into Bangladesh — a move that human rights activists are calling a case of forced pushback.

Local authorities in Assam claim that the evicted families were illegally occupying government land. However, evidence suggests that most of these families have been living in the region for decades, with many having been born there.

Aran Ali, a 53-year-old resident of Assam’s Goalpara district, said, “The government harasses us again and again. We were born here, yet we’re called foreigners.”

Elections are due in the state next year. Analysts believe that the ruling BJP government is using eviction and expulsion of minority Muslims as a political strategy. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that “Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators are threatening India’s identity.”

He further stated, “Unrestricted infiltration across the border is disrupting the demographic balance.”

According to the 2011 census, Muslims made up 30 percent of Assam’s population. The Chief Minister has claimed that this figure is rapidly approaching 50 percent.

A Reuters report noted that in Assam and several other Indian states, hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims have been pushed into Bangladesh. Some were sent back to the border even while their appeals against being declared ‘foreigners’ were still pending in court.

According to Indian government data, over 50,000 Muslims — most of them Bengali-speaking — have been evicted since 2021. In just the past month, around 3,400 families have been displaced in five locations.

International organizations including Human Rights Watch have stated that India is targeting Muslims with “hostile and discriminatory” policies. Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, said, “In the name of identifying illegal immigrants, India is putting thousands of poor people in unsafe and vulnerable situations.”

India has already handed over a list of 2,369 people to Bangladesh for repatriation. However, the Bangladeshi government has not yet issued any official response.

As analyst Praveen Donthi puts it, “Assamese ethnic nationalism has now transformed into religious nationalism — the target has shifted toward Bengali-speaking Muslims.”