Nearly 33 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants detained in Tamil Nadu's Salem district were placed on a train to West Bengal on March 20, 2026, for deportation to Bangladesh. Tamil Nadu police are escorting them with Railway Protection Force assistance.
On March 20, 2026, 33 Bangladeshi nationals detained in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, were loaded onto a separate coach of the Tiruchi-Howrah Super Fast Express bound for West Bengal. A special team from the Tamil Nadu police is providing escort, supported by Railway Protection Force officials. Upon arrival, they will be transferred to Border Security Force personnel for repatriation across the India-Bangladesh border, according to police sources. This deportation is part of a broader initiative by India's Ministry of Home Affairs, started a couple of years ago, under which Tamil Nadu has already repatriated dozens of Bangladeshi nationals lacking valid documents. The state government formed a Special Task Force targeting Bangladeshis and Rohingya from Myanmar without proper papers. Detention centers operate in Tiruchi, Cheiyyar, and Attur. A senior railway official told The Hindu: “We are coordinating with security personnel along the route and also deputed senior officials to assist the State police in taking the illegal immigrants to the destination.” The effort intensified following Operation ‘Sindoor’, which led to detentions across states like Gujarat, Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya. Sources note thousands of suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Tamil Nadu's western districts, including Erode, Namakkal, Tirupur, Coimbatore, Salem, and Karur, often employed in local industries using forged documents.
