Five Indians, all Muslims, 'illegally' languish in Bangladesh jail, await repatriation

By A Representative
As many as six Indian citizens, all of them Muslims and aged around 20, have been languishing in Bangladesh prisons, even though five of them have completed their jail term, a senior human rights defender based in West Bengal has said, alleging, the Indian authorities have shown no sympathy towards towards their timely repatriation, resulting in "irreparable loss and injury" to the victims' life and liberty.
Bringing this to light, Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and national convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), has asked the chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take "immediate action" for taking back five of those who have completed their conviction period.
Giving details of each of them, Roy, in a letter to the NHRC chairman, said, Mohammad Jalil Miya, 20, resident of Puran Kanai, Hat Singimari, Mainkarchar, Dhubri, Assam, was arrested on October 18, 2020 by the Bangladesh Police under section 4 of the Bangladesh Control of Entry Act, 1952. Judicial Magistrate, 4th Court, Kurigram, sentenced him for three months' conviction and fine Rs. 1000 and 15 days more imprisonment for non-payment of the fine. His term of conviction expired on January 3, 2021.
The second person is Nurujaman, resident of Kanaimara, Hat Singrimari, Dhubri, Assam, arrested on March 16, 2021 by Bangladesh Police, also under the same law. He was sentenced for 2 months and 15 days, and fine Rs. 1,000, and 10 days more imprisonment for non-payment of the fine. His term of conviction expired on June 9, 2021.
The third person is Mohammad Taiyab Ali, resident of Dipchwar, Dakshin Salmara, Dhubri, Assam. He was arrested on April 2, 2021, and was sentenced for 10 months' conviction and Rs 1,000, or 10 days more for non-payment of the fine. His term of conviction expired on February 1, 2022.
The fourth person is Mohammed Saha Alam, resident of Kanaimara, Hat Singimari, Mainkarchar, Dhubri, Assam. He was arrested on March 3, 2021, and was he was sentenced for 3 months' conviction and fine Rs 1,000 or 15 days more imprisonment for non-payment of the fine. His term expired on October 18, 2021
The fifth person is Mohammed Jahangir Alam, resident of at Kanaimara, Mainkarchak, Dhubri, Assam. He was arrested on October 18, 2020, and sentenced for 3 months' conviction and fine Rs 1000, and 15 days more imprisonment for non-payment of the fine. His term of conviction expired on January 19, 2021.
The letter says, "These five Indians have been stuck in Bangladesh prison after expiration of their term of conviction and till date they are not released. That means more than 2 to 15 months have passed in connection with the concerned cases, still they are in prison like Jaan Khalas. Their term of the conviction was ended but they were not released and repatriated to their homeland in India."
Calling these "illegal detentions", Roy says, it is an "attack upon their life and liberty", suspecting, these five victims have be subjected to "degrading human condition in jail as they are illegally detained". He regrets, in the case of these five victims, "The authorities concerned are not at all sympathetic towards timely disposal of the repatriation and bring back them to their homeland resulting in irreparable loss and injury to the victim’s life and liberty."
A sixth victim, says Roy, is Mohammed Harech Ali Babu, resident of Nilkhira Patua, Sukhchar, Dhubri, Assam, ho was arrested on October 18, 2021. He has been sentenced for one year conviction and a fine of Rs 2,000 or 15 days' more imprisonment for non-payment of the fine. His term of conviction will expired on October 17, 2022.
Insists Roy, the authorities should ensure, he is "repatriated to his own country without further any delay after expiration of his term of conviction."

Comments

Dalit woman student’s death sparks allegations of institutional neglect in Himachal college

By A Representative A Dalit rights organisation has alleged severe caste- and gender-based institutional violence leading to the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman student at Government Degree College, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and has demanded arrests, resignations, and an independent inquiry into the case.

From colonial mercantilism to Hindutva: New book on the making of power in Gujarat

By Rajiv Shah Professor Ghanshyam Shah ’s latest book, “ Caste-Class Hegemony and State Power: A Study of Gujarat Politics ”, published by Routledge , is penned by one of Gujarat ’s most respected chroniclers, drawing on decades of fieldwork in the state. It seeks to dissect how caste and class factors overlap to perpetuate the hegemony of upper strata in an ostensibly democratic polity. The book probes the dominance of two main political parties in Gujarat—the Indian National Congress and the BJP—arguing that both have sustained capitalist growth while reinforcing Brahmanic hierarchies.

From protest to proof: Why civil society must rethink environmental resistance

By Shankar Sharma* As concerned environmentalists and informed citizens, many of us share deep unease about the way environmental governance in our country is being managed—or mismanaged. Our complaints range across sectors and regions, and most of them are legitimate. Yet a hard question confronts us: are complaints, by themselves, effective? Experience suggests they are not.

Kolkata event marks 100 years since first Communist conference in India

By Harsh Thakor* A public assembly was held in Kolkata on December 24, 2025, to mark the centenary of the First Communist Conference in India , originally convened in Kanpur from December 26 to 28, 1925. The programme was organised by CPI (ML) New Democracy at Subodh Mallik Square on Lenin Sarani. According to the organisers, around 2,000 people attended the assembly.

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

The architect of Congolese liberation: The life and legacy of Patrice Lumumba

By Harsh Thakor* Patrice Émery Lumumba remains a central figure in the history of African decolonization, serving as the first Prime Minister of the independent Republic of the Congo. Born on July 2, 1925, Lumumba emerged as a radical anti-colonial leader who sought to unify a nation fractured by decades of Belgian rule. His tenure, however, lasted less than seven months before his dismissal and subsequent assassination on January 17, 1961.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Towards long-term destabilization in South America's northern half: Attack on Venezuela

By Taroa Zúñiga, Vijay Prashad A little after 2am, Venezuela time, on 3 January 2026, in violation of Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, the United States began an attack on several sites in the country, including Caracas, the capital. Residents awoke to loud noises and flashes, as well as large helicopters in the sky. Videos began to appear on social media, but without much context. Confusion and rumor flooded social media.

Search This Blog