Last week, West Bengal authorities ordered the setting up of “holding centres” for “caught foreigners” including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, raising concerns among the state’s roughly 35 million Muslims.
“We have been asked to leave immediately, or the government will take strict action,” said Hasina, 45, who has worked at construction sites in Kolkata since entering India six years ago.
“We came to this city in search of jobs. Now we want to return to Bangladesh, (but) we don’t know what is waiting for us there,” he said.