For Shaheda Fakir, 40, a West Bengal resident who has lived in Navi Mumbai with her family for the past 20 years, it was nothing short of a nightmare when police detained her on July 18 on suspicion of being an “infiltrator” and eventually deported to Bangladesh.
Sahida resided in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai, with her husband Jumman Fakir, 45, a housing society caretaker, and their younger son, a Class 7 student. The couple hails from Swarupnagar in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, where their elder son works as a mobile phone repair technician.
“On July 18, she went to the market and was picked up by the police, who confiscated her cellphone. When we were informed, we went to a detention centre in Chembur with all her documents to convince the police,” Jumman told The Indian Express.
“We showed her birth certificate, school certificate, her parents’ land deed, and other identity proofs. However, after three days, we were told she had been sent to Bangladesh. Both our families are from Swarupnagar. We are Indian citizens and have lived in Mumbai for two decades without facing anything like this before,” Jumman added.
Sources said that Sahida was taken to Assam before being deported to Bangladesh along with a group. She managed to find shelter at a house in Satkhira, Bangladesh, from where she eventually contacted her family.
Bangladeshi residents offered help
Speaking over the phone from Satkhira, Sahida recounted her ordeal. “They pushed me into Bangladesh from the Assam border around 1 am. I walked for eight hours through muddy fields to reach the main road. Seeing my condition, local residents offered help. A family in Satkhira gave me shelter, clothes, and food,” she said.
“The local police keep watch over the house. But these are poor people; how long can I stay here like this? I am an Indian citizen and just want to return home. My son is in Class 7; who will look after him?” she asked.
Sahida added that she suffers from thyroid issues and diabetes and is relying on a local medical practitioner for basic medication.
Meanwhile, Sahida’s family said that they are planning to move the Calcutta High Court.
“My uncles and other family members will move the High Court over the issue. We are leaving no stone unturned to bring her back,” Jumman said.
According to Sahida, her family had previously participated in the voter roll revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal. “We are three sisters and four brothers. We were called for hearings and submitted all our documents. The names of my brothers and one sister are on the voters’ list, but my elder sister’s name and mine are currently before the tribunal,” she said.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Migrant Labourer Unity Forum (Parijayee Shramik Aikya Mancha) wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on August 8, urging immediate diplomatic intervention to verify Sahida’s documents and facilitate her return.
“We want urgent intervention by the MEA. She is an Indian citizen, and they should verify her credentials immediately. We have attached her birth certificate, land deeds, and school records to the letter,” said Asif Faruk, secretary of the forum. “In the past, several Bengal residents working as migrant labourers in other states were mistakenly pushed into Bangladesh and later brought back.”
Past incidents
Shaheda’s case mirrors recent incidents involving Sunali Khatun and Sweety Bibi, West Bengal residents who were detained in Delhi alongside their families in mid-2025 and pushed across the border. Both were eventually repatriated after months of legal battles fought in the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court.
In another incident in June 2025, five West Bengal migrant workers detained in Mumbai were pushed into Bangladesh before being repatriated following a Border Security Force-Border Guard Bangladesh flag meeting.
Shaheda Fakir, a Bengal woman detained in Navi Mumbai, was allegedly pushed into Bangladesh despite her family claiming she is an Indian citizen with supporting documents (Express photo/Special arrangement). 
Share
