Family of Bengali migrant pushed into B’desh submits land docus dating back to 1950s
Times of India | 26 July 2025
12 Malda: Family members of Malda resident Sk Amir, who has been pushed into Bangladesh after being arrested by Rajasthan Police, have produced land documents to prove that they have been living in Malda's Kaliachak since at least 1950s. Amir's kin produced their land documents at Kaliachak police station on Friday to prove that he is a legitimate Indian citizen.
Amir, 22, was jailed in Rajasthan for two months on the suspicion of being Bangladeshi before being pushed into Bangladesh by BSF on Tuesday night.
His father, Jiyem Sheikh, said his elder son had gone to Chittor along with several others from their neighbourhood to work as a labourer. After working there for a few days, local cops detained them.
"While others had EPIC, PAN and Aadhaar, my son had only Aadhaar. He tried to convince the cops that he was from Malda but was labelled a Bangladeshi. I visited Kaliachak police station and submitted all documents including my land records. Our family has been living in Malda's Jalalpur for 400 years. We are poor, how can we rush to Rajasthan with all the documents?" the distraught father told TOI.
Rajya Sabha MP and Bengal Migrant Welfare Board chairperson Samirul Islam said they had also received the land documents. "We have no doubt that Amir is an Indian. Let us see how long it takes to prove this to Rajasthan police and BSF," he said.
Jiyem said he and his younger son, Arman, were themselves working as migrant labourers in Gaya for the past 20 days but rushed back to Jalalpur after being summoned by Kaliachak police. "Our contract is not over but we returned as soon as possible. We just hope to get back our son who is missing for more than two months," he added.
In a video that went viral on Thursday, Amir was purportedly seen crying and saying, "I was working in Rajasthan. Police picked me up saying I was a Bangladeshi. I showed my Aadhaar card. I got additional documents of my parents from Kaliachak. But they insisted on ID proof that I did not have. They kept me in jail for two months. Cops handcuffed me and brought me here (unidentifiable place) and BSF pushed me into Bangladesh. I don't know anybody in Bangladesh, I have nothing to eat.
"Jiyem said the man who had made the video in Bangladesh had called him and said Amir was found at Ghumra on the other side of Ghojadanga border in North 24 Parganas.
Amir is not the only Bengali-speaking migrant to be pushed into Bangladesh by BSF. On June 26, six Birbhum residents, including three minors, who were arrested by Delhi Police were pushed into Bangladesh by BSF. Their kin have filed a habeas corpus petition in Calcutta High Court and cited land records of their grandparents dating back to 1950s.
In mid-June, Bengal govt put "pressure" on BSF to secure the return of a young Bagdah couple forcibly pushed into Bangladesh. They had been detained by Maharashtra police despite having Aadhaar, EPIC, birth and school certificates. "It was only on receiving a call from Border Guard Bangladesh that we learnt that they were in their custody. BSF did not help us," said a family member.