Two deported Bangladeshi women return back to the city, re-arrested

The police said that after being deported across the West Bengal border, the women re-entered Mumbai through the jungle route of Ghojadanga, an illegal border crossing in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

MUMBAI: Two Bangladeshi women who were deported by the police in August 2025 returned to the city soon after and were re-arrested from the Cuffe Parade and Gateway of India areas. The police said that after being deported across the West Bengal border, the women re-entered Mumbai through the jungle route of Ghojadanga, an illegal border crossing in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal.

Two deported Bangladeshi women return back to the city, re-arrested

The two women have been identified as Juleka Jamal Shaikh and Bilkis Begam Siramiya Akthar. “Shaikh was last caught by Agripada police in August, 2025, and they had with the help of immigration authorities deported her to Bangladesh. Akthar was similarly arrested by Unit 5 of the crime branch and deported to Bangladesh. She also returned back to India via the North 24 Parganas border,” said a police officer.

The police said both women have now been sent to Byculla women’s prison. They will be tried for illegally entering the country and will be deported to Bangladesh after serving their sentence.

“If we catch such people for the first time we deport them to Bangladesh from the West Bengal border, but a lot of them return back,” said the officer, adding that many of the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh often worked as labourers in Mumbai.

“We have also found copies of their Bangladeshi identity cards on their phones,” the police officer said, adding that they have booked the two women under provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, and the Foreigners Order, 1948. The police added that they have noticed that several Bangladeshi nationals who were earlier deported have returned to India, and have therefore begun registering cases against them.