Pregnant Indian woman deported to Bangladesh, family fears over child’s citizenship and safety

A case before the Calcutta High Court has raised urgent concerns about the fate of a West Bengal woman who was deported to Bangladesh while eight months pregnant.

The woman, identified as Sunali Bibi from Birbhum district, was sent across the border on June 26 along with her husband, Danish, and their eight-year-old son after being detained in Delhi.

The family had been living in Delhi for nearly 20 years, earning their livelihood as ragpickers and domestic workers.

Back in Birbhum, her relatives are deeply worried about both her health and the unborn child. “My daughter is heavily pregnant, due for delivery soon. We don’t know if she has access to food or medical care in Bangladesh. What will happen if she delivers the child there. Will the baby be considered Bangladeshi?” asked her mother, Jyotsnara Bibi.

Her younger sister Karishma, who is currently caring for Sunali’s four-year-old daughter left behind in India, added: “The child cries every day for her mother. We can only pray that my sister comes back before her delivery.”

Another woman from Birbhum, Sweety Bibi, and her two sons were also deported on the same day. Both families had been detained at Delhi’s K N Katju Marg police station prior to being sent to Bangladesh.

A senior Delhi Police official said the deportations were carried out after the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) examined the families’ documents. “Due process was followed. The matter is before the court,” the officer said.

The families have filed a habeas corpus petition with the support of the West Bengal Migrant Labour Welfare Board.

Advocate Supratik Shyamal, representing them, noted that the High Court has already heard the case twice. On July 7, the Delhi government was directed to present all relevant documents, while on July 16, the Union government confirmed that the deportation order had been issued on June 24 and executed two days later.

The next hearing is scheduled for August 20.

“This is especially alarming as one of the women is eight months pregnant. In previous cases, deported individuals were eventually brought back, but this family’s whereabouts remain uncertain,” Shyamal said.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP and board chairman Samirul Islam also expressed concern, saying: “We are extremely worried about her health and are hoping the court ensures their safe return.”

Meanwhile, Sunali’s family in Birbhum is preparing to travel back to Delhi, where their employers have asked them to return to work. “I earn around ₹9,000 from the houses I work in. My daughter is also enrolled in a Delhi government school. We will carry all our papers and go back,” Karishma said.

The case unfolds at a time when several Indian states, including Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have intensified drives against undocumented Bangladeshi migrants. In recent months, some deported workers from Mumbai and Rajasthan were repatriated after intervention by the West Bengal government.