Morigaon: Khairul Islam, a former school teacher who was previously declared a foreigner by a tribunal and allegedly deported to Bangladesh, has returned to his residence in Morigaon district, police confirmed on Saturday.
Islam was among nine individuals picked up by Assam Border Police on May 24 from various locations within the district.
However, his family claimed they were not informed of his whereabouts and only learned of his alleged deportation through an unverified video that appeared online.
The video reportedly showed Islam being escorted near the India-Bangladesh border in South Salmara-Mankachar, sparking fears that he had been forcibly sent across the border and even injured.
According to family members, Islam was brought back home by police early Saturday.
A border police official confirmed that a medical check-up was conducted upon his return and he was found to be in stable condition.
Authorities, however, declined to provide specific details about where Islam had been held during his absence.
The eight other individuals detained alongside Islam have since been transferred to the Matia detention centre in Goalpara district, police said.
Their families claim legal appeals challenging their foreigner status are currently pending before either the Supreme Court or the Gauhati High Court.
Islam’s wife, Rita Khanam, stated that her husband had served as a school teacher and had no prior criminal record.
She alleged that the police arrived at their home late at night and took him away without explanation, assuring the family he would return after questioning.
No official communication was received from authorities until the controversial video surfaced, she said.
Islam and three of his siblings were declared foreigners by a Foreigners Tribunal in 2016.
He challenged the decision in the Gauhati High Court, which upheld the Tribunal’s ruling.
He was subsequently detained in 2018 and released in 2020 under a Supreme Court directive allowing detainees who had completed two years in detention to be released on bail.
Khanam further claimed that her husband’s appeal against the Tribunal’s decision is still pending before the Supreme Court.
The family also pointed out that Islam’s mother, Jahanara, served as a village panchayat member in the previous term, and the entire family, including Khairul, participated in the recently concluded rural elections.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reiterated his government’s commitment to identifying and acting against Declared Foreign Nationals (DFNs).
Speaking earlier, he clarified that individuals who have not appealed Tribunal decisions in the High Court or Supreme Court may face deportation, while those with pending legal challenges will not be subject to immediate action.
“The right to stay in Assam stands forfeited for those declared foreigners who fail to contest the Tribunal’s ruling in a higher court,” the chief minister had stated.
