Indians in Bangladesh are the citizens of India living in Bangladesh. Citing the results of a survey, a column in The Financial Express reported that as many as 500,000 Indians were staying illegally in Bangladesh in 2009.[1][2] The article claims that they were found working in different establishments such as NGOs, garments, textile, and IT, and sent money back home through hundi transfer systems.[1] According to Daily Industry, there may have been one million Indians in Bangladesh illegally in 2022.[3]
On 26 June 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 of police (Naria circle) in Shariatpur. They were sent to jail again after confirming their stable mental condition in a mental healthcare centre.[4]
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.[2][5][6] An op-ed article in The Daily Star claims that this is the official figure. In contrast, the unofficial figure is estimated to be significantly more[7] and the article claims that most of them came on tourist visas and tended to stay back. Although the official figure isn't released by the government of Bangladesh for remittances received by India from Bangladesh, the total figure for all outward remittances remain lower than media claims. In the first 10 months of fiscal year 2023-24 total outward remittances stood at $130.6 million as per the finance minister of Bangladesh.[8]
