Sunali Khatun arrives at Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital in Birbhum on Saturday, December 6, 2025. | Photo credit: PTI
A large crowd welcomed Sunali Khatun with flowers when she returned to her ancestral home in Birbhum’s Paikar, West Bengal on Saturday (December 6, 2025), nearly five months after she was “forced” to Bangladesh.
“There is nothing like one’s own country,” said nine months pregnant Sunali as she was rushed to Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital after a short stay at home. Sunali entered India from the Malda border on Friday evening and reached Paikaru on Saturday.
“The police did not torture us there (in Bangladesh),” Ms Khatun told reporters, adding that she was “tortured” by the Delhi police and even the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel she pleaded with did not listen to her.
Ms Khatun and her child were among a group of six migrants from two families detained by Delhi police in June on suspicion of being of Bangladeshi nationality. The remaining four members of the group, all residents of West Bengal’s Birbhum district, will also return soon as the high court has ordered their repatriation as well.
Samirul Islam, a Trinamool Congress MP and chairperson of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Committee, met Sunali and said her return “marked the first phase of our legal battle against the ‘Bangla-Birodhi zamindars’; the second phase of the fight awaits Sweety Biwi and her two minor sons, who are still in the neighboring country.”
“Today I met Sweety’s family members in Murarai along with one of her minor sons. Although they are happy for Sunali’s return, their tears have not been wiped away as Sweety herself has not yet returned. Sunali’s husband is also with them and continues to await repatriation,” he said.
On Saturday, the Trinamool Congress leadership held a press conference and said that the Calcutta High Court had said clearly and unequivocally that “the Center acted in haste and violated due process”.
“The only reason Sunali Khatun is back is because the West Bengal government fought for her. It was the West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board that stood by the family, filed habeas corpus petitions and ensured justice. Bengal protected its people while the Center sought to destroy their dignity. The message is clear: Bengal will not bow to a politically motivated press statement from a party.”
On September 26, the Supreme Court ordered the repatriation of six people from two families. A division bench comprising Justices Tapabrat Chakraborty and Reetobrat Mitra issued this direction while deciding two pleas filed by Mr Sheikh and Amir Khan.
On 3 December, the Union government agreed to bring back Ms Khatun and her minor son from Bangladesh on “humanitarian grounds” following the Supreme Court’s intervention.
The Supreme Court of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi granted the plea of the woman’s father Bhodu Sekh, represented by senior advocate Sanjay R. Hegde, to bring the mother and child back home to Birbhum.
Published – 06 Dec 2025 22:14 IST
