Last July-August, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government due to a student and public uprising, reports in various Indian media outlets claiming that Bangladeshi minorities were fleeing to India were false, according to a report by The Hindu, one of India's leading media organizations.
On Sunday (December 1), The Hindu reported that no such incidents occurred. After the fall of Hasina's government, there were no large-scale attempts by groups of people to flee to or enter India.
The report further disclosed data on attempts of illegal border crossings between Bangladesh and India. It revealed that from August 5 to November 27, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) apprehended 1,393 Bangladeshi nationals.
In contrast, prior to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, from January 1 to August 4 this year, the BSF detained 1,144 individuals attempting to cross the border illegally. This indicates that no significant surge in border crossings occurred after the government's fall.
In total, in 2024, the BSF detained 3,907 individuals attempting illegal border crossings from Bangladesh, including both Indian and Bangladeshi nationals. In 2023, 3,137 Bangladeshi nationals were among the 5,095 total detained.
On the other hand, from January 1 to August 4 this year, 873 Indian nationals attempted to enter Bangladesh illegally. Following the fall of the government, from August 5 to November 27, 388 Indian nationals tried to enter Bangladesh without proper documentation.
Meanwhile, last week, after the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a leader of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagarani Jote, Indian media once again alleged that minorities, including Hindus, were being persecuted in Bangladesh, and some were considering leaving the country. However, according to The Hindu, citing the BSF, no such situation has arisen concerning the Chinmoy issue thus far.
