Akshay DidwaniyaWest Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has issued a clear directive illegal Bangladeshi migrants caught by police will no longer face Indian courts. Instead, they go straight to the BSF for deportation. The new “Detect, Delete and Deport” rule kicked in on May 20 and marks a sharp policy shift under the freshly elected BJP government.
Bengal’s New Rule: Courts Out, BSF In
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari dropped a major policy bombshell on Thursday. Illegal Bangladeshi migrants detained anywhere in the state will no longer face court proceedings. They will be handed directly to the Border Security Force and then deported to Bangladesh. Adhikari made this announcement after chairing an administrative review meeting at the Howrah district magistrate’s office. He confirmed that the DGP, the police commissioner, and the Railway Protection Force had already received clear instructions.
“Since yesterday, the new rule has come into effect under which infiltrators will not be sent to courts but handed over to the BSF at the Bangladesh border,” he said.
The ‘Detect, Delete and Deport’ Framework Explained
A day earlier on May 20 Adhikari had formally unveiled this mechanism at the State Secretariat in Nabanna. He called it the “Detect, Delete and Deport” framework. Under this policy, illegal Bangladeshi migrants those not eligible under the Citizenship Amendment Act are first identified, then detained, and finally handed to the BSF for deportation.
The BSF, in turn, coordinates with the Border Guard Bangladesh to complete the deportation process. Adhikari refrained from naming the specific Act powering this shift. However, it appeared he referred to the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 a Parliament-approved law from April last year. That Act aims to build a modern, tech-driven system for immigration, registration, surveillance, detention, and deportation across India.
Howrah Station and Border Points Get Special Orders
Adhikari gave granular directions about exactly how the process works on the ground. He specifically mentioned Howrah railway station one of the country’s busiest transit hubs as a key detection point.
“The police commissioner and the RPF have been clearly instructed that if any illegal migrant from Bangladesh, who is not entitled to apply for citizenship under the CAA, is detained at Howrah station, he or she should not be sent to a court. The person concerned should be properly fed and then taken directly to the BSF personnel at the Petrapole border in Bongaon or the border outpost in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district,” he said.
A weekly report on the number of such detainees must reach the Chief Minister’s Office through the DGP.
TMC Government Blamed for Years of Inaction
Adhikari did not hold back when it came to the previous Trinamool Congress government. He pointed out that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had written to the Bengal government on May 14 last year directing the state to identify illegal migrants and hand them over to the BSF. The TMC government, he charged, ignored that directive entirely.
“A letter was sent by the Centre to the state on May 14 last year regarding the direct handover of infiltrators to the BSF, but the previous government failed to implement this important provision. We have now enforced it,” he said.
Howrah Development Also on the Agenda
The Howrah review meeting covered far more than just deportation policy. Adhikari reviewed drinking water supplies, drainage systems, and civic amenities across the Howrah Municipal Corporation area. He announced a coordination committee set up under the district magistrate to monitor these civic concerns. Municipal Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed will oversee that committee.
The state government and the railways will jointly map their respective responsibilities for improving the city’s infrastructure. Ward delimitation inside the HMC was also taken up during the meeting.
“Our focus is to fulfil the primary needs of the city. We will work on long-term plans and develop Howrah into a modern city,” he said.
The BRICS Times
Aditya Didwaniya
Mayur Mohta
