India Says Bangladesh Has Not Responded to Over 1,100 Diplomatic Notes on Illegal Immigrants

India has transmitted 1,137 diplomatic notes (notes verbale) and 456 consolidated reminders to Bangladesh since September 2020 to verify the nationality of suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India, but has not received an actionable response, according to a note verbale sent by the External Affairs Ministry on April 30, 2026. The document stated that Bangladesh has not cooperated in over 2,862 cases, some pending for more than five years.

The note was issued hours after Bangladesh summoned India's envoy to protest remarks by Assam's then Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who claimed Indian border forces were 'pushing in' suspected Bangladeshi nationals through unguarded border points. Bangladesh's Foreign and Home Ministers warned of 'adequate measures' if such actions continued, particularly after the BJP's victory in Assam and West Bengal.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed on May 7 that the repatriation of illegal Bangladeshi nationals remains a 'core issue' in bilateral relations, citing the backlog of unresolved nationality verifications. India asserted that all its actions comply with domestic laws and bilateral agreements.

The April 30 note verbale urged Bangladeshi authorities to prioritize the pending cases and resume cooperation on verification and repatriation. The court will resume hearing on Tuesday.