India urges Bangladesh to expedite nationality check for nearly 3,000 Immigrants

New Delhi: India on Thursday conveyed to Bangladesh to expedite the nationality verification of nearly 3,000 suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, days after Dhaka said it will take action if New Delhi forcibly pushes any such individuals.

New Delhi's comments came against the backdrop of a social media post by Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on the issue on Tuesday in which he said Dhaka will take action if there any "push-in" incidents from the Indian side.

"These comments must be seen in the context of the core issue of repatriation of illegal Bangladeshis from India. This requires cooperation from Bangladesh," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.


"Over 2862 cases of nationality verification are pending with Bangladesh, some for over five years. Our policy is that all illegal foreign nationals staying in India must be repatriated as per our laws, procedure and established bilateral arrangements," he said.

"We expect Bangladesh to expedite nationality verification so that repatriation of illegal immigrants can take place in a smooth manner," he said.

Jaiswal was responding to a question on Rahman's remarks.

The issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh came to fore during the campaigning for the assembly election in West Bengal.

In the course of the campaign, the BJP accused the Trinamool Congress of allowing the influx of Bangladeshi nationals into the region. The Trinamool Congress had trashed the charges.

Jaiswal also responded to another question on possible cooperation between Bangladesh and China on the management of the Teesta river.

"Between India and Bangladesh, we have 54 rivers that the two countries share. We have structured bilateral mechanisms to discuss all water-related issues. These bilateral mechanisms continue to meet at regular intervals," he said.

Bangladesh's state-run BSS news agency reported on Thursday that Foreign Minister Rahman, during his ongoing visit to China, had sought Beijing's involvement and support for the Teesta river restoration project.

The issues concerning the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP) were discussed in a meeting between Rahman and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, according BSS.

India has opposed any Chinese involvement in projects related to the Teesta river because of its location near a sensitive region of the border with Bangladesh.

The Teesta river flows from the eastern Himalayas through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, where it is a key source of irrigation and livelihoods for millions of people.