Indians in Bangladesh: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description | People of Indian origin settled in Bangladesh}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}


{{Infobox ethnic group
'''Indians in Bangladesh''' are citizens of [[India]] who reside in [[Bangladesh]] either legally or illegally. The presence and number of Indian nationals in Bangladesh has been a subject of discussion and, at times, controversy.
| group = Indians in Bangladesh
| image =
| langs = [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Assamese language|Assamese]], [[Hindi]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Tamil Language|Tamil]], [[Languages of India]], English
| population = 500,000
| total_year = 2009
| regions = [[Dhaka]], [[Khulna]], [[Chittagong]]
| religions = [[Hinduism]]{{·}}[[Sikhism]]{{·}}[[Islam]]{{·}}[[Religions of India]]
| related =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
}}


There are many illegal Indian migrant workers currently working in Bangladesh as the Indian workers are cheaply available, so many Bangladeshi companies are willing to use these Indians for work, like washing, lower standard works, etc. Most of these Indian immigrant workers are from West Bengal, Bihar and Assam. Citing the results of a survey, a column in [[The Financial Express (Bangladesh)|''The Financial Express'']] claims that as many as 500,000 Indians were staying in Bangladesh in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2009-08-15|title=Bangladesh-India economic relations|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815032813/http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/26/74259.html|access-date=2021-07-01|website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sadeque|first=Syeda Samira|title=Dhaka has a question: what about the illegal Indian immigrants in Bangladesh?|url=http://scroll.in/article/664305/dhaka-has-a-question-what-about-the-illegal-indian-immigrants-in-bangladesh|access-date=2021-07-01|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref> The article claims that they were found working in different establishments such as NGOs, garments, textile, IT and sent money back home through [[hundi]] transfer systems.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-06-07|title=Dear PM Modi, it is time to thank Bangladesh for embracing its Indian immigrants-World News , Firstpost|url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/dear-pm-modi-it-is-time-to-thank-bangladesh-for-embracing-its-indian-immigrants-2282732.html|access-date=2021-07-01|website=Firstpost}}</ref>
Cross-border movement from India to Bangladesh is constrained by restrictions on entry and employment. Government agencies on both sides track flows of registered migrants but lack reliable estimates of unauthorized migration. It is difficult to accurately quantify [[irregular migration]] because it is clandestine.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Srivastava |first1=Ravi |last2=Pandey |first2=Arvind Kumar |title=Internal and International Migration in South Asia: Drivers, Interlinkage and Policy Issues |year=2017 |publisher=United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-81-89218-60-7 |pages=21, 45 |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000249459}}</ref> Both countries acknowledge the need for reliable and comparable national migration data, but as of 2025, collection and publication remain a work in progress.<ref>{{cite web |title=Migration data in Southern Asia |url=https://www.migrationdataportal.org/regional-data-overview/southern-asia |website=Migration data portal |publisher=[[International Organization for Migration]] |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=31 January 2025}}</ref>


On June 26th, 2021. Bangladeshi army patrolmen arrested 11 Indians from the construction site of [[Padma Bridge]]. They were detained immediately, and cases were filed against them for illegally trespassing. "They appeared to be acting abnormally," said the [[Superintendent (police)|superintendent of police]] (Naria circle) in [[Shariatpur District|Shariatpur]]. They were sent to jail again after confirming their stable mental condition in a mental healthcare centre.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-27|title=Indian national arrested near Padma Bridge|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/indian-national-arrested-near-padma-bridge-2118821|access-date=2021-07-01|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>
==Population==
The Indian government estimates there are 19,000 Indians living in Bangladesh, and 9,000 of them are students.<ref>{{Cite news |title="19,000 Indians In Bangladesh, Of Which 9,000 Are Students": S Jaishankar |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/19-000-indians-in-bangladesh-of-which-9-000-are-students-s-jaishankar-to-lok-sabha-on-bangladesh-unrest-6275966 |access-date=2025-05-16 |work=NDTV |language=en}}</ref> However, in 2009, a column published in ''[[The Financial Express (Bangladesh)|The Financial Express]]'', made an unsubstantiated claim that between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Indians are staying illegally in Bangladesh.<ref name="FE">{{cite news |year=2009 |title=Bangladesh-India economic relations |work=[[Financial Express (Bangladesh)|The Financial Express]] |url=http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/26/74259.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815032813/http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/26/74259.html |archive-date=15 August 2009}}</ref><ref name="scroll.in">{{Cite news |last=Sadeque |first=Syeda Samira |date=2014-05-16 |title=Dhaka has a question: what about the illegal Indian immigrants in Bangladesh? |url=https://scroll.in/article/664305/dhaka-has-a-question-what-about-the-illegal-indian-immigrants-in-bangladesh |access-date=20 April 2017 |work=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}</ref> The article claims that they were found working in different industries such as NGOs, garments, textiles, and information technology, and sent money home through [[hundi]] transfer systems.<ref name="FE" />


== Remittance ==
== Remittance ==
Citing World Bank estimates, an article in ''[[Quartz India]]'' noted that in 2013, Bangladesh was the fifth-highest source of [[remittances to India]]. That year, Indians working in Bangladesh sent more than $3.7 billion back to India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Sadeque|first=Syeda Samira|title=Dhaka has a question: what about the illegal Indian immigrants in Bangladesh?|language=en-US|work=Scroll.in|url=https://scroll.in/article/664305/dhaka-has-a-question-what-about-the-illegal-indian-immigrants-in-bangladesh|access-date=2017-04-20}}</ref><ref name="Quartz India">{{cite news |last=Madhok |first=Diksha |date=15 June 2014 |title=Bangladeshis in India sent back $6.6 billion last year |url=https://qz.com/india/221317/remittance-economy-india-is-to-bangladesh-what-the-middle-east-is-to-india/ |work=Quartz India |access-date=16 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/pubdocs/publicdoc/2015/9/103071443117530921/Bilateral-Remittance-Matrix-2013.xlsx |title=Bilateral Remittance Estimates for 2013 using Migrant Stocks, Host Country Incomes, and Origin Country Incomes (millions of US$) (April 2015 Version) |website=World Bank}}</ref> An op-ed article in ''The Daily Star'' mentions that this is the official figure. In contrast, the unofficial figure is estimated to be significantly more<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/controlling-remittance-outflow-to-india-58831|title=Controlling remittance outflow to India|date=2015-01-08|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-04-20|language=en}}</ref>and the article claims that most of them came on tourist [[Travel visa|visas]] and tended to stay back.<ref name="FE">{{cite news|year=2009|title=Bangladesh-India economic relations|work=[[Financial Express (Bangladesh)|The Financial Express]]|url=http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/26/74259.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815032813/http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/26/74259.html|archive-date=15 August 2009}}</ref>
According to a Financial Express report citing Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali's statement in Parliament, foreigners transferred $130.6 million out of Bangladesh during the first 10 months of FY24. Of this amount, Indian nationals alone remitted over $50 million making India the largest destination for Bangladesh's outward remittance. <ref>{{cite news |title=Foreigners take $130.6m out of Bangladesh in 10 months of FY24 |url=https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/bangladesh/foreigners-take-1306m-out-of-bangladesh-in-10-months |work=The Financial Express |location=Dhaka |date=21 August 2025}}</ref>
 
== Refugees ==
In July 2016, four thousand Indians took refuge in [[Lalmonirhat District|Lalmonirhat]], Bangladesh after floods in [[West Bengal]], [[India]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/flood-affected-indians-take-shelter-bangladesh-1259998|title=Flood-affected Indians take shelter in Bangladesh|date=2016-07-27|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-04-20|language=en}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Bangladesh–India relations]]
* [[Bangladesh–India relations]]
 
* [[Indian diaspora]]
* [[Immigration to Bangladesh]]
* [[Bangladeshis in India]]
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


{{NRI-PIO}}
{{Indian diaspora}}
{{Immigration to Bangladesh}}
{{Immigration to Bangladesh}}
{{Bangladesh-India relations}}
{{Portal bar|India|Bangladesh}}
 
[[Category:Indian diaspora by country|Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Indian diaspora by country|Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Bangladesh–India relations]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi people of Indian descent| ]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi people of Indian descent| ]]
{{India-stub}}
{{Bangladesh-stub}}

Latest revision as of 23:14, 10 March 2026



Indians in Bangladesh are citizens of India who reside in Bangladesh either legally or illegally. The presence and number of Indian nationals in Bangladesh has been a subject of discussion and, at times, controversy.

Cross-border movement from India to Bangladesh is constrained by restrictions on entry and employment. Government agencies on both sides track flows of registered migrants but lack reliable estimates of unauthorized migration. It is difficult to accurately quantify irregular migration because it is clandestine.[1] Both countries acknowledge the need for reliable and comparable national migration data, but as of 2025, collection and publication remain a work in progress.[2]

Population[edit | edit source]

The Indian government estimates there are 19,000 Indians living in Bangladesh, and 9,000 of them are students.[3] However, in 2009, a column published in The Financial Express, made an unsubstantiated claim that between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Indians are staying illegally in Bangladesh.[4][5] The article claims that they were found working in different industries such as NGOs, garments, textiles, and information technology, and sent money home through hundi transfer systems.[4]

Remittance[edit | edit source]

According to a Financial Express report citing Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali's statement in Parliament, foreigners transferred $130.6 million out of Bangladesh during the first 10 months of FY24. Of this amount, Indian nationals alone remitted over $50 million making India the largest destination for Bangladesh's outward remittance. [6]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Srivastava, Ravi; Pandey, Arvind Kumar (2017). Internal and International Migration in South Asia: Drivers, Interlinkage and Policy Issues. New Delhi: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. pp. 21, 45. ISBN 978-81-89218-60-7.
  2. ↑ "Migration data in Southern Asia". Migration data portal. International Organization for Migration. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  3. ↑ ""19,000 Indians In Bangladesh, Of Which 9,000 Are Students": S Jaishankar". NDTV. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Bangladesh-India economic relations". The Financial Express. 2009. Archived from the original on 15 August 2009.
  5. ↑ Sadeque, Syeda Samira (16 May 2014). "Dhaka has a question: what about the illegal Indian immigrants in Bangladesh?". Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Foreigners take $130.6m out of Bangladesh in 10 months of FY24". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 21 August 2025.

Template:Indian diaspora Template:Immigration to Bangladesh

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