Summary
Ufa Ali, a 67-year-old bicycle mechanic from Assam, India, was detained during a government operation targeting "declared foreign nationals." He and others were taken to the India-Bangladesh border where they spent hours without food or shelter in a disputed area. The incident is part of a broader push to remove people seen as illegal migrants from Assam to Bangladesh, amid ongoing ethnic tensions in the region.
Key Facts
- Ufa Ali was detained on May 23 in Assam during a police operation against "declared foreign nationals."
- Ali spent four days stranded in Bangladesh after being taken to a detention center and then to the India-Bangladesh border.
- The group, which included women, was left in a no-man’s land area with no access to basic needs.
- Assam has a history of ethnic tension due to the migration of Bengali-speaking people.
- Since May, authorities in Assam have moved over 300 Muslims to Bangladesh.
- Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, supports stronger actions to remove those considered illegal migrants.
- The Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly used rubber bullets to force people into Bangladesh, though the BSF denies this.
- Ali and others reported threats and feared violence from the border security forces.
