Seven Bangaladeshi minors waiting for deportation

Seven Bangladeshi minors have been languishing in a welfare home at Baharampur in Murshidabad district where they were shifted from jail when their term got over. The seven minors are waiting for the nod from the Bangladesh government to enter to their country.

An official of the state Home (F&NRI) Department said that the request was made to the Bangladesh High Commissioner for repatriation to their country and the state government is waiting for their response.

A PIL was moved in December last which alleged that hundreds of foreigners including Bangladeshis were lodged in West Bengal jails whose conviction period was over. The report filed by the jail department stated that a total of 320 foreign nationals including 313 Bangladeshis were lodged in jail after having served the conviction period. The division bench headed by the chief justice directed the state to take steps for the deportation of those foreign national as detention after the end of term is illegal.

Madhuriam Dhanuka of Common Wealth Human Rights Initiatives (CHRI) brought to notice that seven minors from Bangladesh arrested under Foreigners Act were lodged in Baharampur jail illegally and their conviction periods were already over. On the other hand, the division bench of former chief justice J N Patel directed the state in April last year to shift the juveniles lodged illegally in jail to homes. The Calcutta High Court was told that about 50 juveniles had been lodged in the jail illegally instead of homes.

According to CHRI sources, Jamil Hossain (16), Helal Ali (13). Selim Sekh (17), Abdul Jabbar ( 17), Anarul Islam (16), Borjahan Ali (17), Abubakkar (17) had been arrested between November 2010 and January 2012 and they were convicted under the provisions of the Foreigners Act. Their conviction period was over in 2011 and 2012 and on an average of more than eight months that they were lodged in Baharampur jail.

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