As 2026 dawns, 33-year-old Sweety Bibi sees no reason for celebration. Confined to a house in Bangladesh's Chapainawabganj district with her sons Qurban (6) and Imran (12), her world has shrunk to a desperate wait for a verdict from India's Supreme Court. The hearing, scheduled for January 6, will critically influence whether this family from Birbhum, West Bengal, can ever return home.
A Life in Limbo Across the Border
"We cannot leave this house. Twenty-four hours a day, we are confined here," Sweety Bibi told The Indian Express over a phone call, her voice etched with anxiety. She fears the strained diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh have further jeopardized their fate. "As an Indian, I am scared. My country and Bangladesh are not on good terms now. We are fast losing hope of returning."
Her ordeal began over six months ago. On June 18, 2025, Sweety, her children, and another couple, Danish Sheikh and Sunali Bibi, were picked up by Delhi Police from the K N Katju Marg police station jurisdiction. All were working as garbage collectors in the capital. By June 26, authorities had declared them illegal infiltrators and summarily "pushed back" into Bangladesh.
Mirrored Suffering, Divergent Outcomes
Sweety's narrative painfully mirrors that of Sunali Bibi, yet their fates have diverged. After being pushed across the border, both families hid in bushes, attempted to return, and were stopped by the Border Security Force (BSF). They then spent seven harrowing days on the streets of Dhaka before reaching Chapainawabganj.
There, Bangladeshi police arrested them and sent them to jail under the Passport Act and the Foreigners Act on August 21. After three months in jail, they secured bail on December 1. A Bangladeshi court entrusted their custody to a local man, Faruk Sheikh. Since then, Sweety and her sons have been virtual prisoners in his house.
The crucial difference emerged from the courts. While both families were declared Indian citizens by a Chapainawabganj judicial magistrate on October 3 based on their Aadhaar cards and West Bengal addresses, only Sunali Bibi—who was pregnant—and her son were brought back to India. This followed a Supreme Court order and a subsequent flag meeting between the BSF and the Bangladesh Border Guards on December 5.
"Like her, we suffered the same way. But she was brought back, and we are confined in this house," Sweety lamented. "I don't think this New Year will bring good news for us. We are waiting for January 6. Let us see what the highest court says about us."
Anxious Wait from Birbhum to the Supreme Court
The uncertainty is torturous for her family back in Dhitora village, Birbhum. "It has been a long time since we last spoke properly. The fate of my sister and her two children is now in the hands of the court," said her brother, Amir Khan.
Samirul Islam, Chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board and a TMC Rajya Sabha MP, stated that all documents proving their Indian citizenship are before the Supreme Court. "We are hopeful that the highest court of the country will allow them to be brought back home, just like Sunali," he said.
However, fear persists. Mofizul Islam, a social worker who assisted the families, worries about the January 11 hearing at the Chapainawabganj district court. "If the Bangladesh court passes a sentence, they may be sent back to jail again," he cautioned.
For now, Sweety Bibi and her young sons count the hours until January 6, clinging to a fragile hope that India's Supreme Court will open the path back to a home they haven't seen for half a year.
