Sat Sep 13 01:52:30 UTC 2025: ## News Article: Calcutta High Court Demands Details on Migrant Pushbacks; Mamata Banerjee Announces Relief for Returning Workers

**Kolkata, September 13, 2025:** The Calcutta High Court has raised serious concerns regarding the deportation of West Bengal residents, demanding the Union Government provide specific details about the locations from which detainees were “pushed back” into Bangladesh. The court’s order comes amid rising tensions over the treatment of migrant workers and allegations of linguistic targeting.

A Division Bench, hearing a petition filed by Bhodu Sheikh, whose daughter Sunali Bibi, along with her husband and son, was allegedly pushed into Bangladesh after being detained in Delhi, emphasized the matter involved fundamental rights to life and liberty. The court noted that without disclosing the points of origin for these deportations, determining territorial jurisdiction was impossible.

The Union government has challenged the maintainability of the petition, citing a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs authorizing the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Delhi to repatriate illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

The case highlights the plight of Sunali Bibi, who is eight months pregnant, and her family, who were reportedly detained by Bangladesh police after being pushed across the border on June 26. Bhodu Sheikh filed a missing persons report in July after losing contact with his daughter.

Adding to the concern, the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board is assisting families facing similar situations, and reports have surfaced of migrants being detained in other states, including Odisha and Haryana.

In response, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a new scheme, Shramashree, offering a monthly stipend of ₹5,000 to migrant workers forced to return to the state. Ms. Banerjee stated that approximately 26,000 migrant workers have returned to West Bengal due to alleged harassment based on their Bengali language.

The Trinamool Congress further fueled the controversy by claiming a Bengali migrant worker from Nadia was brutally murdered in Visakhapatnam. The party alleged the incident was a result of a “climate of LINGUISTIC TERROR” fostered by the BJP and its allies.

The Calcutta High Court’s intervention and the state government’s response underscore the growing concerns surrounding the treatment of migrant workers and the need for transparency and accountability in the deportation process.

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