“I am an Indian citizen. I have lived there all my life. Yet I was branded a Bangladeshi and forced across the border.”

Her voice choking with emotion, 45-year-old Sahida Fakir made the allegation at the home of Abul Basar in the Sonabaria area of Kalaroa upazila, Satkhira. She is now staying there in uncertainty, separated from her family in India.

Sahida said she is a resident of Bithari Hakimpur village in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district and was recently forced into Bangladesh by Indian authorities through the Assam border.

“I have been separated from my family, my home and the life I knew. I cannot even return to my own country,” she said.

She said she moved from West Bengal to Mumbai with her husband, Jumman Fakir, about 20 years ago in search of work. She worked there as a domestic helper, while her husband earned a living by cleaning vehicles. Their two sons, aged 23 and 13, remain in India.

Sahida said her father, Aminoddin Gaji, and mother, Majida Bibi, were registered voters in the Swarupnagar Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.

She said her voter ID card, Aadhaar card and Permanent Account Number (PAN) card issued by the Income Tax Department all carry her Swarupnagar address. She also owns land in Gunrajpur mouza under Swarupnagar Police Station.

Sahida said that on the evening of July 19, several plainclothes men identifying themselves as police detained her as she was on her way to a nearby market in Mumbai to buy food.

At the time, she was carrying roti and curry for dinner, while her younger son was home alone. She alleged that the men confiscated her mobile phone, Aadhaar card and food. She was then taken to a detention centre where, she said, people suspected of being undocumented foreigners were being held.

She alleged that she was declared a Bangladeshi without any investigation, hearing, notice or court order. After being detained for five days, she was handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF). She said she was driven around for hours with about 20 others before being forced across a section of the border into Bangladesh.

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Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), a rights organisation based in West Bengal, provided her relevant documents to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK).

Sahida said she later reached Feni and travelled through several places before eventually arriving in the Benapole area. There, she met Abul Basar, who offered her shelter at his home on humanitarian grounds.

She appealed to the relevant authorities to urgently intervene and facilitate her return to India.

After the incident came to light, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), a rights organisation based in West Bengal, submitted written applications on the matter to various departments of the central government of India and the government of West Bengal.

The organisation also wrote to Bangladeshi rights body Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), providing relevant documents and requesting assistance for the woman.

"Our human rights defender went there and spoke to the woman. She told us that she is an Indian national," said Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir, senior coordinator of Ain o Salish Kendra.

Kabir said that forcibly pushing a woman into Bangladesh after labelling her as "Bangladeshi" simply because she speaks Bangla is not only an injustice to an individual but also a direct assault on linguistic equality and human dignity.

"What is even more surprising is such treatment by the authorities towards one of their own citizens. Identifying a citizen as a foreigner, humiliating them or forcibly pushing them across the border into another country without proper verification cannot be considered the conduct of a democratic state. From the perspective of international human rights law, such treatment is contrary to human dignity and is regarded as cruel,” he added.

"The Indian authorities should conduct an impartial investigation into the incident and immediately facilitate her return to her own country," he told The Daily Star.

Abul Basar said he had gone to Benapole for medical treatment, where he met Sahida standing by the roadside in tears. She sought his help, after which he brought her to his home.

Kalaroa Police Station Officer-in-Charge H M Shahin said that after learning about the matter, a sub-inspector was sent to the house.

“The woman who was pushed into Bangladesh from India is currently staying at Abul Basar’s home. The matter is under further investigation,” he said.