Nearly a year after they were allegedly pushed into Bangladesh on suspicion of being illegal infiltrators, Bengali migrant worker Sweety Bibi and four others from Paikar village in Birbhum district returned to India on Wednesday, 8 July, along with her two minor children. The group re-entered the country through the Mahadipur border in Malda district, bringing relief to families who had waged a prolonged legal battle before the Supreme Court.

What Allegedly Happened

According to government officials, Sweety Bibi and fellow migrant worker Sonali Bibi had been residing in Delhi with their families for work. In June last year, they were allegedly detained by the Delhi Police on suspicion of being illegal infiltrators and subsequently pushed into Bangladesh through the Assam border. Their families maintained that both women are Indian citizens and were wrongfully expelled.

The two were imprisoned in Bangladesh for a period before legal proceedings were initiated through the Calcutta High Court and later pursued before the Supreme Court of India. This is not an isolated case — rights groups have documented multiple instances of Bengali-speaking migrant workers being detained and deported in circumstances their families contest.

The Legal Battle and Returns

Sonali Bibi was the first to return, re-entering India in December last year following court intervention. On Wednesday afternoon, her husband, Danesh Sheikh, along with Sweety Bibi, her two minor children, and others from the group crossed back through the Mahadipur border checkpoint in Malda.

The families credited the Supreme Court's intervention as decisive. On 22 May, the apex court had reportedly ordered the immediate return of those stranded in Bangladesh, though the order took several weeks to be executed.

Political Response

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam posted on social media expressing relief at the outcome. 'The end of the long legal battle, the joy of returning to the country. The victory of truth, the victory of justice! The tears in the eyes of those helpless people of Birbhum today are of relief, of the joy of returning to their homeland,' he wrote.

Islam also noted that the Supreme Court had ordered the immediate return of the stranded individuals on 22 May, adding: 'Although that order took some time to take effect, justice has finally triumphed today.'

Broader Context

The case has drawn attention to the vulnerability of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in other states, who critics argue are disproportionately suspected of being undocumented Bangladeshi nationals. The alleged detention and cross-border pushback of individuals who claim Indian citizenship raises serious questions about due process in deportation proceedings. With the families now reunited, attention is likely to shift to accountability for the alleged pushback and whether systemic safeguards exist to prevent recurrence.