Alleging severe violations of India’s Constitution, the prominent human rights body demands an immediate end to the “inhumane” treatment of families stranded in No Man’s Land under the new state policy.
Kolkata / Malda | June 7, 2026
West Bengal’s premier human rights organization, the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), has issued an urgent warning over an escalating humanitarian crisis unfolding along the India-Bangladesh border. The rights group alleges that the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) is actively executing forced “push-in” operations across multiple sectors, attempting to compel people suspected of being undocumented immigrants across the international boundary into Bangladesh.
To protest these operations, APDR has called for a massive demonstration rally in Malda on June 11, according to a statement by the organization’s Vice President, Ranjit Sur.
The surge in border pushback operations follows recent political shifts in West Bengal. Upon assuming power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, moved swiftly to implement its core electoral manifesto pledge: the “3D” policy—standing for Detect, Deport, and Delete. APDR reports that the state government’s rapid handover of land to the BSF, combined with the activation of dedicated administrative “holding centers” to detain suspected undocumented residents, has directly catalyzed this aggressive cross-border campaign.
According to a press release issued by APDR on Sunday, the enforcement of this policy has created an “extremely alarming and dangerous situation.” The human rights body highlighted that BSF personnel are rounding up individuals—particularly vulnerable women and children—and utilizing armed intimidation to push them towards Bangladeshi territory. However, because Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) units are maintaining a zero-tolerance stance and blocking unauthorized entry, these individuals are becoming indefinitely trapped in the perilous neutral zones between the two countries.
The impasse has triggered a severe on-ground humanitarian emergency. Stranded for consecutive days in “No Man’s Land,” families, including pregnant women, are left entirely exposed to severe weather conditions, storms, and intense heat without access to basic food, shelter, or safe drinking water.
APDR strongly criticized the geopolitical gridlock, noting that the BSF disclaims all welfare responsibilities by labeling the individuals as undocumented Bengalis, while the BGB refuses entry on the grounds that they lack verifiable legal proof of Bangladeshi citizenship and are inherently Indian residents.
The organization has explicitly declared the “3D” policy unconstitutional and illegal, asserting that it flagrantly violates Article 14 (which guarantees equality before the law to all persons within Indian territory) and Article 21 (the fundamental right to protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution of India. Consequently, APDR announced it is moving to draw the formal attention of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to these actions, characterizing them as systemic crimes against humanity.
The border crisis continues to manifest in real time across several hot spots. In the northern frontier of Panchagarh Sadar Upazila, a group of 10 individuals has reportedly been stranded on the narrow ridges of agricultural fields at the zero line for more than 59 hours, pinned between the defensive positions of the two neighboring border forces.
📊 Border Crisis Profile & Legal Framework
ParametersOperational & Constitutional BreakdownLeading Monitoring GroupAssociation for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR)Scheduled Protest ActionMass Demonstration Rally, Malda City — June 11, 2026State Policy in Focus”Detect, Deport, Delete” (The 3D Policy)Catalytic State ActionsLand transfer to BSF; deployment of localized “Holding Centers”Constitutional Violations CitedArticle 14 (Equality before law) & Article 21 (Right to Life & Liberty)International AppealFormal notification to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)Panchagarh Sector Standoff10 individuals stranded in No Man’s Land for over 59 hours
💬 Official Assertions from Human Rights Advocates
“The BSF is taking groups of people suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals to the borders of various districts across the state, and forcing them towards Bangladesh under the threat of firearms. We firmly believe that India’s ‘Detect, Delete, Deport’ policy is inherently unconstitutional, illegal, and opposed to Articles 14 and 21. This very policy is the source of the current crisis.”
— Official Press Release, Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR)
“The BSF dumps these individuals in No Man’s Land and completely abdicates its responsibility by claiming they are Bangladeshi. Meanwhile, the BGB asserts there is no proof of their Bangladeshi citizenship and classifies them as Indian nationals. As a result, these helpless humans are forced to live a horrifying existence without food or water in front of the guns of two armed forces. We demand that the government immediately scrap this inhumane pushback policy.”
— Ranjit Sur, Vice President, APDR
Sources:
Official Press Communiqué, Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), West Bengal.
Public Declaration and Policy Briefing by APDR Vice President Ranjit Sur.
Field Surveillance and Administrative Logs, Panchagarh & Naogaon Border Bureau.
