‘Wasn't sure I would return': ‘Pushed into Bangladesh' despite case in Supreme Court, Assam man is back home in time for Eid
'There are no words for the thoughts that were going through my head during those two days that I was in Bangladesh. I was fearful, I was not sure if I would ever be able to come back to my family,' he told The Indian Express, speaking from his home.
Islam, a former government school primary teacher, had been declared a foreigner by a Foreigners Tribunal in 2016. As reported by The Indian Express, his special leave petition against the FT order was granted by the Supreme Court in December 2024, despite which he was detained by police on May 23 as part of an ongoing crackdown against declared foreigners in Assam.
On May 27, a video uploaded on social media by a Bangladeshi journalist of Khairul Islam was the first indication that declared foreigners were being pushed across the International Border into the country.
In the video, which purportedly shown Islam in Bangladesh's Kurigram district, he could be heard saying that on May 23, he was taken by the police from his home to the Matia transit camp – the dedicated detention centre to house 'illegal foreigners' in Assam – and that he was put into a bus with his hands tied and pushed across the border with 13 others on May 27.
A few days later, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the government is pushing back declared foreigners, citing a February 4 Supreme Court order. However, Sarma also said that those with appeals pending before the Gauhati High Court or the Supreme Court 'are not being troubled.'
'My wife had seen the video of me stuck in no-man's land. At the same time, the CM also said that people with cases in the High Court and Supreme Court can't be picked up. Because I have my Supreme Court case, she made an appeal to the border branch of the Superintendent of Police's office and they assured her that they will try to bring me back in a few days. So that's how I was brought back to Assam, and I came back to my home on Thursday night,' he said.
He recounted the day that the video of him was taken: 'After the security forces took us to the border and pushed us into Bangladesh, there was nowhere for us to go. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) also pushed us away and sent us back to the zero line or the no-man's land. That was where we were the whole day, under the sun in the paddy field. I was with 13 other people. When the media there wanted us to speak, I had to speak about our plight because the rest were unable to speak with clarity. After spending the whole day there, the BGB took us to their camp and gave us food to eat. I remember it was egg and dal. The next morning, we were taken to another camp and we spent the rest of the day there until, in the evening, seven of us were handed over back to the BSF,' he said.
Islam has been battling his citizenship case for a decade now and had spent two years in detention in Tezpur central jail after the Gauhati High Court had upheld the FT order in 2018.
'I have complete hope that I will be given justice by the Supreme Court when the time comes. For now, I am glad that I am with my family today,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
BJP MLC slams cow vigilantes, says anti-slaughter Act is against farmers
Days after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar held a meeting with top police officials on the growing menace of gaurakshaks (self-styled cow vigilantes), ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC and farmer leader Sadabhau Khot on Sunday said that the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015, that prevents the slaughter of cow, bulls and bullocks is against farmers. Speaking to The Indian Express, Khot said, 'Let's be very clear. No farmer would part ways with productive cows. Dairy is a supplementary business of lakhs of farmers in the state. The earning from this is now being spent on taking care of unproductive animals as transfer of these animals is not only banned but under threat from these so-called gaurakshaks. The Act (against cow slaughter) is actually turning against farmers…' About cow vigilantism in the state, he said, 'These gaurakshaks resort to extortion from genuine farmers and traders, bringing the transport of animals to a complete standstill.' Khot, a farmer leader from western Maharashtra's Sangli district, said that as a farmer leader he feels that if the present act (to prevent cow slaughter) threatens the livelihood of farmers, then it should be 'torn apart'. 'This (the act) is not even helping desi cows as those are getting replaced by Jersey cows. The transfer of newer breeds from different states has totally stopped due to fear of these cow vigilantes. The so-called gaushalas (cow shelters promoted by the state government) should pay the market price to farmers for unproductive cows and must come forward to rescue the farmers,' he said, adding that he was 'ready to pay any price' for his stand. Last week, The Indian Express had reported that Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar held a meeting with top police officials in the state over the demands raised by the Qureishi community, which has been complaining against cow vigilantes who allegedly beat up and extort money from animal traders. Following the meeting, state police issued a circular, clarifying that private individuals have no authority to inspect vehicles that transport animals but only police can act against them. Terming the circular issued by Maharashtra police an eyewash, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, 'The circular says that only police can take action against illegal animal trade. But it does not say what action will be taken against the private individuals if they are take law in their hands? The majority of these so called cow vigilantes are linked to BJP and RSS and this issue is used for the politics of polarisation.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Dog lovers seek relaxations in curtailing strays
Trichy: Dog lovers from People for Animal Trichy chapter conducted a demonstration near Trichy Junction railway station on Sunday to censure the recent Supreme Court's directive urging the Delhi local body authorities to shift stray dogs to shelters. Expressing apprehensions over Tamil Nadu implementing a similar strategy against strays, the protesters said that animal birth control (ABC) and anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) drives are sufficient to reduce the stray dog population. "Just because of a few dog bite incidents, it is not right for us to punish all dogs. Aggressive dogs can be selectively removed from roads and treated by the local body. Locking all street dogs in a shelter is not practical and cannot be a wise move," Ajay Barath, vice president, People for Animals, Trichy said. Holding placards, the protesters, including women, said that people must come forward to adopt community dogs instead of spending on exotic bred dogs. Stating that there are provisions for initiating mercy killing for rabies infected stray dogs, the protesters claimed that restricting the movement of community dogs within a shelter will be like lodging everyone in prison for the criminal offences committed by a few. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Demanding sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs for co-existence, the protesters sought a ban on commercial breeding of exotic dog species to promote community dogs as pets. Reacting to questions on stray dogs chasing and biting commuters on roads, the protesters claimed that canines cause disruptions only if they were provoked by humans. They also expressed hope that protests organised by dog lovers across the country may tone down the stance of the judiciary in handling stray dogs. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Scientific temper important to fully claim Right to Life: Retd Supreme Court Judge Abhay Oka
Scientific temper is important to completely claim the Right to Life, said retired Supreme Court Judge Abhay Oka while delivering the Dr Narendra Dabholkar Memorial Lecture in Pune on Sunday. Oka emphasised that Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guaranteed the Right to Life with dignity and prosperity, and that a scientific temper was important to fully claim these rights. Oka said, 'If Article 21 of the Constitution has given us a Right to Life with dignity, what does it mean? It is not just living with respect but also living meaningfully. Reading good literature and good thoughts, artwork, watching a comedy film or a stand-up comedian's show, this makes life prosperous. This is how we fulfill the Right to Life. Therefore, it is important to develop a scientific temper and spirit of enquiry to fully claim the Right to Life with prosperity.' The retired judge also talked about how people use scientific equipment in their daily lives but do not develop a scientific temper: 'In Article 51(a) of the Constitution where scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform come together…Just using scientific equipment does not mean that people have scientific temper. In a lighter vein, DJs are used in many of our festivals. These hurt the ears and are their levels much above the permitted decibel limits according to the rules. DJ systems are created by science, but just because we are using it we cannot say that we have scientific temper.' At the same event, Retired Supreme Court Judge Hemant Gokhale said, 'We killed Dr Dabhokar, also killed comrade (Govind) Pansare. This is the disposition of Maharashtra today. And the way minority and minority religion people are being harassed, this is against scientific temper…You all must have read that day before in Jamner, a young man was killed because he belonged to a religion. What kind of scientific temper is this?' The lecture was held before the 12th anniversary of the assasination of Dr Narendra Dabholkar on August 20, who was one of India's foremost rationalists and anti-superstition activists. Dabholkar was gunned down in Pune in 2013 while on a walk. Two people were convicted for his murder in 2024 by a special court in Pune while three others, including the mastermind accused, were acquitted due to lack of evidence. All accused had links to extremist Hindu organisation Sanatan Sanstha. MANS and Dabholkar's family have questioned the CBI for not appealing the acquittals in higher courts.
