26 Bangladeshis languishing behind bars in Indian Correctional Home
Friday, 10 October 2008
FE Report
Twenty-six Bangladeshi nationals, who were arrested for illegally staying in India three years ago, are still languishing behind the bars of Alipore Central Correctional Home even though their jail term ended almost two years ago, according to an Indian newspaper report.
The state government has failed to make arrangements for their return to Bangladesh. Accusing the state government of human rights violations, the lawyers of the Bangladeshi citizens lodged a complaint with the South 24-Parganas police authorities recently and requested officers to immediately send them back to their home country.
Senior district police officers have reportedly assured the lawyers that steps would be taken in this regard soon.
According to reports, the Bangladeshi nationals had entered India through riverine borders in 2004 without any legal travel documents and had stayed at various places in South 24-Parganas.
Acting on a tip off, police arrested them from different places including Namkhana, Sagar Island, Pathar Pratima, Gosaba, Canning and Kakdwip between 2004 and 2005. They were booked under section 14 of Foreigners Act and produced before a court in South 24-Parganas.
In January 2006, the Bangladeshi nationals were sentenced to jail for three months by a magistrate and were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 500. They were later sent to Alipore Central Correctional Home.
"They are still languishing behind bars though their jail term ended in April 2006. They are not being given adequate food and their civic liberties are being grossly violated in the jail.
They lodged verbal complaints with the jail authorities, but they didn't pay any heed to their appeal. We came to know that jail officials had requested the state government several times to send back the Bangladeshi nationals, but nothing was done so far," said Kallol Das, a lawyer of the Bangladeshi citizen.
Jail officials, however, denied the allegation made by the Bangladeshi nationals.
Das said he had submitted a complaint regarding this matter to the office of the superintendent of police, South 24- Parganas and deputy superintendent (intelligence branch) of police recently demanding immediate pushback of the Bangladeshi citizen.
Twenty-six Bangladeshi nationals, who were arrested for illegally staying in India three years ago, are still languishing behind the bars of Alipore Central Correctional Home even though their jail term ended almost two years ago, according to an Indian newspaper report.
The state government has failed to make arrangements for their return to Bangladesh. Accusing the state government of human rights violations, the lawyers of the Bangladeshi citizens lodged a complaint with the South 24-Parganas police authorities recently and requested officers to immediately send them back to their home country.
Senior district police officers have reportedly assured the lawyers that steps would be taken in this regard soon.
According to reports, the Bangladeshi nationals had entered India through riverine borders in 2004 without any legal travel documents and had stayed at various places in South 24-Parganas.
Acting on a tip off, police arrested them from different places including Namkhana, Sagar Island, Pathar Pratima, Gosaba, Canning and Kakdwip between 2004 and 2005. They were booked under section 14 of Foreigners Act and produced before a court in South 24-Parganas.
In January 2006, the Bangladeshi nationals were sentenced to jail for three months by a magistrate and were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 500. They were later sent to Alipore Central Correctional Home.
"They are still languishing behind bars though their jail term ended in April 2006. They are not being given adequate food and their civic liberties are being grossly violated in the jail.
They lodged verbal complaints with the jail authorities, but they didn't pay any heed to their appeal. We came to know that jail officials had requested the state government several times to send back the Bangladeshi nationals, but nothing was done so far," said Kallol Das, a lawyer of the Bangladeshi citizen.
Jail officials, however, denied the allegation made by the Bangladeshi nationals.
Das said he had submitted a complaint regarding this matter to the office of the superintendent of police, South 24- Parganas and deputy superintendent (intelligence branch) of police recently demanding immediate pushback of the Bangladeshi citizen.