Tuesday, 09 December, 2025
The United States has once again deported Bangladeshis, with 31 returnees arriving at Shahjalal International Airport on Monday evening in handcuffs and shackles. The special US military flight landed at 7 pm, and BRAC provided transportation and emergency assistance to the returned migrants.
Most of the deportees are from Noakhali, with others hailing from Sylhet, Feni, Shariatpur, and Cumilla districts. The US has returned 257 Bangladeshis in phases this year, frequently restraining them with cuffs and chains throughout their journeys. In contrast, a smaller group of 39 Bangladeshi migrants sent back on 28 November were reportedly returned without restraints.
According to Shariful Islam Hasan, associate director of the BRAC Migration Programme, while deportation of undocumented migrants may be legally permitted, keeping them handcuffed and shackled for hours is “inhuman.” He noted that seven of the 31 deportees had valid Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) certificates for migration to Brazil but entered the US illegally via Mexico.
“These individuals spent up to Tk 3.5 million in the hope of reaching the US, only to return empty-handed,” Hasan said, urging authorities to hold accountable those who approved their migration.
The deportations come amid tightened US immigration policies, particularly under the Trump administration, which implemented strict measures to remove undocumented migrants from multiple countries, including Bangladesh. US law permits the return of immigrants residing without valid documents either through court orders or administrative directives.
The crackdown is not limited to Bangladeshis. Recent reports indicate a growing number of Indian migrants have also been deported from the US after attempting to enter illegally or overstaying visas. Experts say these measures reflect a broader shift in US policy towards stricter border enforcement and tighter scrutiny of South Asian migrants.
Shariful Hasan warned that the route via Latin America, often used by migrants seeking to reach the US via Mexico, continues to be highly risky, with many returning without achieving their goal, despite substantial financial and emotional costs.
BRAC and other migrant advocacy groups have called for greater accountability and humane treatment of returnees, urging both the Bangladeshi and US authorities to review the conditions under which migrants are restrained during deportation.
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The United States has once again deported Bangladeshis, with 31 returnees arriving at Shahjalal International Airport on Monday evening in handcuffs and shackles. The special US military flight landed at 7 pm, and BRAC provided transportation and emergency assistance to the returned migrants.
Most of the deportees are from Noakhali, with others hailing from Sylhet, Feni, Shariatpur, and Cumilla districts. The US has returned 257 Bangladeshis in phases this year, frequently restraining them with cuffs and chains throughout their journeys. In contrast, a smaller group of 39 Bangladeshi migrants sent back on 28 November were reportedly returned without restraints.
According to Shariful Islam Hasan, associate director of the BRAC Migration Programme, while deportation of undocumented migrants may be legally permitted, keeping them handcuffed and shackled for hours is “inhuman.” He noted that seven of the 31 deportees had valid Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) certificates for migration to Brazil but entered the US illegally via Mexico.
“These individuals spent up to Tk 3.5 million in the hope of reaching the US, only to return empty-handed,” Hasan said, urging authorities to hold accountable those who approved their migration.
The deportations come amid tightened US immigration policies, particularly under the Trump administration, which implemented strict measures to remove undocumented migrants from multiple countries, including Bangladesh. US law permits the return of immigrants residing without valid documents either through court orders or administrative directives.
The crackdown is not limited to Bangladeshis. Recent reports indicate a growing number of Indian migrants have also been deported from the US after attempting to enter illegally or overstaying visas. Experts say these measures reflect a broader shift in US policy towards stricter border enforcement and tighter scrutiny of South Asian migrants.
Shariful Hasan warned that the route via Latin America, often used by migrants seeking to reach the US via Mexico, continues to be highly risky, with many returning without achieving their goal, despite substantial financial and emotional costs.
BRAC and other migrant advocacy groups have called for greater accountability and humane treatment of returnees, urging both the Bangladeshi and US authorities to review the conditions under which migrants are restrained during deportation.
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