KOLKATA: Pregnant Bengal resident Sunali Khatun, disowned as an "illegal immigrant" in India and incarcerated in Bangladesh for unlawful entry after being identified as an Indian by her Aadhaar card, could be returning soon to where she and her unborn child belong.
A judicial magistrate's court in Bangladesh has asked the Indian high commission in Dhaka to initiate diplomatic and legal procedures to "safely repatriate " Sunali and five others languishing in a Chapai Nawabganj jail since Aug 22, capping an almost four-month ordeal that began with the group from Birbhum being targeted by Delhi Police and pushed across the international border in Assam on June 26.
The Sept 30 magisterial directive specifies that all six jail inmates - Sunali, her husband Danish Sk, their 8-year-old son Sabir, Sweeti Bibi and her two sons - are "Indian citizens" with Aadhaar cards in their names.
The order came within four days of Calcutta high court slammed Delhi Police for their haste in branding them illegal immigrants and pushing them into Bangladesh. The court gave the Centre four weeks to bring the group back to India.
Sunali, who is due any day, her husband and Sweeti were eking out a living as ragpickers in the national capital when they were picked up by a police team engaged in a drive against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Sunali's father Bhodu Sk, who filed a habeas corpus in Calcutta high court in July, accused police of refusing to acknowledge the citizenship documents of his daughter and the rest of the group.
Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam of Trinamool Congress , who heads the West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board , said on Friday that he would request the Union govt to fast-track steps to repatriate the group.
An Indian official suggested repatriation might be a lengthier process than expected. "An Aadhaar card is not proof of Indian citizenship. The identities of all six need to be established first," he told TOI.
A flag meeting between BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGP) will follow since the latter would need to hand them over to officials on this side," the Indian official added.
Diplomatic issues involved, not sure when Sunali will return: Lawyer
Mofijul Sk, a social worker from Birbhum who has been camping at Chapai Nawabganj to coordinate legal assistance for the jailed six, said he would meet officials at the Indian deputy high commission in Rajshahi, if required, to speed up the process.
Mofijul spoke to Sunali over the phone on Friday. "She was crying and pleaded with me to arrange for the group to return home. She kept asking, 'How long will we have to stay here? What is our fault? Please tell them I have a daughter waiting for me at home'," Mofijul said.
He said Sunali suffered an injury in a fall in jail a week ago but was still to get a precautionary ultrasound to check her baby's health.
Lawyer Saikat Thakurata, who represented Sunali's family at Calcutta HC, said he had "heard" about a Bangladeshi court directing India to safely repatriate her and the rest of the jailed group. "Diplomatic issues are involved here. I am not sure when she will return home," he said.
MP Islam posted on X, "A Bangladeshi court has not only declared them Indian citizens but even cited their Aadhaar card numbers and residential addresses as proof. The court's order has been officially sent to the Indian high commission in Dhaka, directing that all of them be safely sent back to India. This exposes yet again how the anti-Bengal BJP cruelly targets poor Bengali-speaking people, labelling them as Bangladeshis and deporting them for no other reason than their language."
A judicial magistrate's court in Bangladesh has asked the Indian high commission in Dhaka to initiate diplomatic and legal procedures to "safely repatriate " Sunali and five others languishing in a Chapai Nawabganj jail since Aug 22, capping an almost four-month ordeal that began with the group from Birbhum being targeted by Delhi Police and pushed across the international border in Assam on June 26.
The Sept 30 magisterial directive specifies that all six jail inmates - Sunali, her husband Danish Sk, their 8-year-old son Sabir, Sweeti Bibi and her two sons - are "Indian citizens" with Aadhaar cards in their names.
The order came within four days of Calcutta high court slammed Delhi Police for their haste in branding them illegal immigrants and pushing them into Bangladesh. The court gave the Centre four weeks to bring the group back to India.
Sunali, who is due any day, her husband and Sweeti were eking out a living as ragpickers in the national capital when they were picked up by a police team engaged in a drive against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Sunali's father Bhodu Sk, who filed a habeas corpus in Calcutta high court in July, accused police of refusing to acknowledge the citizenship documents of his daughter and the rest of the group.
Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam of Trinamool Congress , who heads the West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board , said on Friday that he would request the Union govt to fast-track steps to repatriate the group.
An Indian official suggested repatriation might be a lengthier process than expected. "An Aadhaar card is not proof of Indian citizenship. The identities of all six need to be established first," he told TOI.
A flag meeting between BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGP) will follow since the latter would need to hand them over to officials on this side," the Indian official added.
Diplomatic issues involved, not sure when Sunali will return: Lawyer
Mofijul Sk, a social worker from Birbhum who has been camping at Chapai Nawabganj to coordinate legal assistance for the jailed six, said he would meet officials at the Indian deputy high commission in Rajshahi, if required, to speed up the process.
Mofijul spoke to Sunali over the phone on Friday. "She was crying and pleaded with me to arrange for the group to return home. She kept asking, 'How long will we have to stay here? What is our fault? Please tell them I have a daughter waiting for me at home'," Mofijul said.
He said Sunali suffered an injury in a fall in jail a week ago but was still to get a precautionary ultrasound to check her baby's health.
Lawyer Saikat Thakurata, who represented Sunali's family at Calcutta HC, said he had "heard" about a Bangladeshi court directing India to safely repatriate her and the rest of the jailed group. "Diplomatic issues are involved here. I am not sure when she will return home," he said.
MP Islam posted on X, "A Bangladeshi court has not only declared them Indian citizens but even cited their Aadhaar card numbers and residential addresses as proof. The court's order has been officially sent to the Indian high commission in Dhaka, directing that all of them be safely sent back to India. This exposes yet again how the anti-Bengal BJP cruelly targets poor Bengali-speaking people, labelling them as Bangladeshis and deporting them for no other reason than their language."
You may also like
Bacon will be 'extra crispy' without burning it by using 1 kitchen item
Claudia Winkleman banned from wearing one outfit on Strictly Come Dancing
Today's horoscope for October 11 as Virgo steps into the spotlight
New UK weather maps show when snow could blanket Brits for entire weekend
Man Utd news: Bidder confirms takeover interest as Red Devils dressing room claim main
