On February 9, authorities rescued Chamru Majhi, his wife, and their children from the Moni Brick Kiln in Aranghata, Nadia. The rescue was a joint effort involving the District Legal Services Authority and police officials. The Majhi family had been trapped in bonded labour for 17 years at this remote kiln. They had accepted ₹35,000 from a labour contractor and were forced to work under an advance bondage system. Even their three minor children worked at the kiln. The kiln employs mostly migrant workers from Bihar and Jharkhand. After the rescue, an FIR was filed. This case reflects the ongoing problem of bonded labour in West Bengal, a state both sourcing and receiving forced labourers. Many brick kilns and small factories employ bonded workers, mainly from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. In March 2025, 28 children were rescued from two brick kilns in South 24 Parganas. A 2020 report found West Bengal has about 11,000 brick kilns with nearly 800,000 workers. The workers face low wages, long hours, restricted movement, and poor access to healthcare. Between 2023 and 2026 January, 76 bonded labourers were rescued from various places in West Bengal, including restaurants, sweet shops, tea gardens, and makhana units. The state is also a source of youths forced into bonded labour in jewellery units in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. From 2019 to 2024, 143 boys were rescued from such units in Chennai. All have been given bonded labour release certificates by the Tamil Nadu government. Some have received training from NGOs and are rebuilding their lives. Experts say the biggest challenge is the West Bengal government's denial of bonded labour problems. Despite the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976, bonded labour continues, especially among vulnerable communities. This rescue shows the ongoing fight against this hidden crime in India.