Centre agrees to bring back Sunali, family from B’desh at SC hearing
The Statesman | 4 December 2025
Trinamul Congress MP Samirul Islam, who is also West Bengal Migrant Workers’ Welfare Board chairperson had been following the case on a daily basis. After the Supreme Court hearing today, Samirul said on Wednesday that it is a hard-fought victory.
“After a long wait, justice has finally prevailed. The Central Government has agreed, on humanitarian grounds, to bring back pregnant Sunali Khatun and her minor son.
“She was illegally deported to Bangladesh merely for speaking Bengali, and her ordeal across the border stands as a stark example of why BJP is called Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars.
“Before the division Bench of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the relentless fight of this poor woman ultimately found victory. During its observations, the Court strongly criticised the deportation and made several significant remarks:
“The Central Government proposed to bring Sunali Khatun to Delhi. The Court rejected this and directed that she be sent directly to her ancestral home in Birbhum.
“The State government has been asked to take care of Sunali’s treatment. Birbhum district administration and the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) have been instructed to ensure proper medical care for Sunali, who is in the advanced stage of pregnancy.
“The Court raised serious questions regarding her nationality, stating that if Sunali’s biological father is an Indian citizen and has not been deported, there is no basis to label Sunali a Bangladeshi. Under Indian law, since her father is Indian, Sunali is automatically an Indian citizen, and therefore her son is also an Indian citizen.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who stood beside this distressed family during their darkest hours, especially to our Hon’ble Chief Minister @MamataOfficial and AITC National General Secretary @abhishekaitc for their continuous and unwavering support.”