A perilous passage to India: How Bangladeshi immigrants make their way across the border

Illegal Bangladeshi immigration to India surges during rain, driven by job scarcity and political instability; migrants often face exploitation and arrest.

MUMBAI: If you know what to look for, you can almost time the surge of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into India. Typically, it coincides with heavy rain and dense fog, which make the illegal border crossings easier. It’s a migration fuelled by desperation caused by the lack of jobs in Bangladesh. The numbers recently swelled due to the political instability in India’s eastern neighbour.

Guard tower near the India-Bangladesh border near Fulbari, West Bengal, India October 15, 2009. (Shutterstock)

Sometimes the desperation has personal roots too. A 26-year-old woman arrested by the Pydhonie police from a