- Jammu and Kashmir sent 150 Bangladeshi nationals from Srinagar to Bagdogra on an Indian Air Force flight.
- The BSF received the group in West Bengal for onward repatriation to Bangladesh.
- Authorities scheduled another 150 people for removal on October 7, 2026.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration sent 150 Bangladeshi nationals from Srinagar to Bagdogra on October 5, 2026, aboard a special Indian Air Force flight. Border Security Force personnel received the group in West Bengal for onward repatriation to Bangladesh.
The operation involved the regional administration and Srinagar Police. Officials described it as part of a continuing crackdown on people allegedly living illegally in the Union Territory. The first group left by air.
Officials’ reported account places the handover at Bagdogra. It does not describe the flight as the final leg of the journey to Bangladesh. The force was to handle onward repatriation.
The removals followed checks that included police verification and Aadhaar-data comparisons. Authorities also cited action under the Foreigners Act. Those checks formed part of the reported identification process.
Aadhaar mismatches fed the reported nationality checks
A senior police officer said labourers in Kashmir had to produce Aadhaar cards for registration. The officer said a mismatch was flagged and details were sent to Bangladesh, where nationality was confirmed. That was the stated sequence.
The officer described two transit points in West Bengal, Malda and Bagdogra. The officer also explained the border handover in general terms, saying, “The BSF then physically escorted them across the border.”
The account ties the checks to both registration data and police verification. Officials described the resulting action as part of the wider drive against alleged illegal residence. The stated checks preceded removal.
Survey and district counts describe different stages of identification
A survey across the Kashmir Valley reportedly found about 600 Bangladeshi people alleged to be staying illegally. A separate figure presented to the High-Level Committee on Demographic Change was 504 formally identified people across 20 districts of the Union Territory.
The figures refer to different reported exercises: a Valley survey and formal identifications spanning the Union Territory. They are not presented as one combined count. Around 500 people had also been detained in earlier police action, according to reports on the drive.
The committee was also told that 7,656 Rohingya were in Jammu and Kashmir. Combined with the 504 formally identified Bangladeshis, that submission counted 8,160 undocumented foreign nationals. Those figures were presented to the panel.
The regional survey estimate and the district-level figure sit alongside the detention number, but describe separate stages of the reported effort. The authorities’ stated focus is identifying people they allege are residing unlawfully. The reported totals include distinct categories.
A Home Ministry panel is gathering district demographic information
The Ministry of Home Affairs established the High-Level Committee on Demographic Change on May 26, 2026. Retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar heads the panel, which was given one year to submit its report. Its work extends beyond the deportation operation.
The committee sought district-level information about “visible changes” in religious demography over the previous 15 years. The wider Union Home Ministry effort has been described as addressing demographic change linked to illegal immigration. The panel is gathering information from across the districts.
The reported checks in Jammu and Kashmir were linked to intelligence inputs and verification against Aadhaar registration data. Officials described those steps as part of identifying people alleged to lack legal status. Verification and removal are both elements of the reported drive.
A second batch was scheduled for October 7
Another 150 people were reportedly scheduled to be deported on October 7, 2026. The planned group would follow the first flight from Srinagar and handover in Bagdogra.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
