MEA on Bangladesh Comments: Repatriation of Illegal Immigrants Key Issue

Jaiswal, while addressing a press briefing in New Delhi said that India needs cooperation from Bangladesh to verify the nationality of several cases sent to them.

"We have seen comments of this nature being made in the last several days. These comments must be seen in the context of the core issue of repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis from India. This obviously requires cooperation from Bangladesh. Over 2,860 cases of nationality verification are pending with Bangladesh, several of which have been pending for over five years. Our policy is that any foreign national who is illegal in the country must be repatriated as per laws, procedures, and established bilateral mechanisms and arrangements. We expect that Bangladesh will expedite nationality verification so that repatriation of illegal immigrants can take place in a smooth manner," he said.

Jaiswal was asked about Rahman's remarks where he had said that if there is a pushback after the new government in West Bengal, there will be appropriate action taken.

Earlier, the Bangladesh government had summoned the acting Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pawan Badhe, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lodge a formal protest regarding recent comments allegedly made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. According to a report by the Dhaka Tribune, the diplomatic intervention followed remarks concerning the repatriation of individuals from Assam.

The acting Indian envoy was summoned on Thursday afternoon, during which the protest was formally conveyed by Bangladeshi officials.

During the proceedings, Dhaka voiced its concerns over the nature of recent public discourse and emphasised the necessity of "avoiding comments that might hurt bilateral ties."

This diplomatic friction followed a statement made by Sarma on April 26, in which he noted that 20 foreign nationals were apprehended in Assam and subsequently "pushed back to Bangladesh".

In a post shared on the social media platform X, cited by media reports, the Chief Minister remarked, "Rude people don't understand soft language. We continuously remind ourselves of this prophetic line when we expel infiltrators from Assam who don't leave themselves. For instance, these 20 illegal Bangladeshis who were pushed back last night."

Bangladesh maintained that public statements of this nature are "counterproductive" and have the potential to strain the relationship between the two neighbouring nations.

Jaiswal was also asked about India's stance on the fact that Bangladesh will speak to China regarding the Teesta issue.

"On your second question regarding Teesta, India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers. We have structured bilateral mechanisms to discuss all water-related issues, and these mechanisms continue to meet at regular intervals," he said.

The Ganga Water Treaty (1996) governs water sharing between India and Bangladesh during the dry season at Farakka Barrage. During lean months, Bangladesh accuses India of releasing insufficient water, impacting agriculture and livelihoods downstream. Rising concerns over climate change have intensified disputes over reduced water availability.

Bangladesh demands an equitable share of Teesta waters, but the agreement remains pending due to opposition from West Bengal, citing its own water needs. In 2011, an attempt was made to resolve the dispute when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Bangladesh. Proposed agreement aimed at allocating 37.5% of Teesta's waters to Bangladesh and 42.5% to India. However, the West Bengal govt opposed it, arguing that it would harm its agricultural interests.

An ad-hoc agreement on the sharing of Teesta waters was reached in 1983, with Bangladesh allocated 36% and India 39% of the water flow, leaving 25% to be decided later. However, this agreement was never fully implemented.

- ANI