The number of Bangladeshi nationals exiting West Bengal has sharply jumped in recent weeks, escalating from single-digit daily counts to well over a hundred each day. This surge follows the initiation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which authorities say has prompted many to return across the border.
The majority of returns are taking place through the Hakimpur check post in the North 24 Parganas district, where Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are overseeing intensive identity and background checks. Officials report that the numbers being processed daily could be around 300, a dramatic increase compared to previous times. These individuals are being verified through biometric authentication, criminal-history screening, and close coordination with Bangladeshi border authorities before being handed over.
West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose personally visited Hakimpur to investigate the situation and assess the strain on the border infrastructure. BSF sources indicate that the rising departures are not simply routine migration but a response to increased voter-roll scrutiny under SIR.
Political tension is also mounting. The revision drive, aimed at cleaning up electoral rolls, is being viewed by some as a crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Opposition leaders have voiced strong concerns, claiming that the mass exits reflect panic among long-established migrant communities fearing deletion from voter lists or possible deportation.
As the SIR process continues, authorities and political parties alike are under pressure: the government must balance its stated goal of electoral integrity with the humanitarian realities at the border. Meanwhile, the evolving exodus is fueling a broader national debate on migration, citizenship, and the future of voter registration in border regions.
