Exclusive | 'I Want To Have My Baby On Indian Soil,' Cries Pregnant Sunali Khatun, An Indian National Now In Bangladesh Custody

Birbhum: In an exclusive video message sent to ETV Bharat from Bangladesh, Sunali Khatun, a 26-year old woman, who was in her nine month's pregnancy, appealed with folded hands: “Make arrangements to bring us back to India quickly. What crime have we committed that we were pushed into Bangladesh? I request the Indian government, with folded hands, to take us back to our country quickly. I am nine months pregnant. I want to have my baby on Indian soil."

Mofizul Islam, a member of the Murarai Pariyaji Sramik Manch – an organisation based in Birbhum where Sunali Khatun belonged- was coordinating with the fugitive family and trying to bring them back to India.

But Sunali Khatun and Mofizul Islam sounded desperate as no Indian authority contacted them till Wednesday, even though the family members from West Bengal were granted bail on Monday by a Bangladesh court from Chapainawabganj jail, where they were lodged after being pushed into Bangladesh by Indian police.

As things seemed to be locked in official formalities between the two countries, the clock is ticking menacingly for a desperate Sunali Khatun as uncertainty looms large over the return of a 26-year-old pregnant woman from West Bengal. After being bailed out from the Bangladesh jail on a personal bond of Taka 5000, Sunali and five others were staying at a rented space.

Sunali Khatun and five others were released by the Bangladesh court on humanitarian grounds. The Bangladesh court, while granting bail, described the fugitives as Indian citizens based on the documents they carried and urged the Indian authorities to coordinate with the Bangladesh government and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka for their return.

But Mofizul Islam and Sunali Khatun regretted that there was no move till now that should indicate that Indian authorities were taking steps for their return.

Mofizul Islam went over to Bangladesh, reportedly on the orders of Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. Mofizul, at the moment, is in Bangladesh with Sunali Khatun and her daughter, Sweetie Bibi.

Mofizul told ETV Bharat from Bangladesh, "The Supreme Court of India has ordered Sunali Khatun to be repatriated. The Bangladesh court has granted her bail. Even after that, the Indian government has not contacted us."

"Sunali Bibi is making a desperate plea to the Centre for her return to India as soon as possible. Let her child be born in India," Mofizul told ETV Bharat on the phone.

In the video message, pregnant Sunali Khatun thanked the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and All India Trinamool Congress Secretary Abhishek Banerjee for their legal fight for repatriation from Bangladesh.

Sunali and five others’ ordeal began five months ago when the Delhi police picked them up on suspicion of being illegal Bangladeshi nationals and pushed them into Bangladesh. They belonged to Paikar village in Birbhum district of West Bengal. Police in Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh, arrested them as “infiltrators” and registered a case. Since then, they have been lodged in a local correctional facility.

After the Calcutta High Court intervened first in September, the Supreme Court later ordered their return to their country. Even the Chapainawabganj court in Bangladesh has granted conditional bail to all six of them.

However, it is alleged that the Indian government has not contacted the Bengali migrant workers who were 'pushed back'. So it is uncertain when they will return home.

Mofizul Islam further told ETV Bharat from Bangladesh, "The Bangladesh court has said that they have to appear before the court every 10 days. And the police will come and inspect. There has been no communication from the Indian government. I don't know when I will be able to return. It would be better if the anti-West Bengal BJP government follows the order given by the Indian Supreme Court to the central government. These are ordinary people. We earnestly request the central government to expedite the return so that Sunali can have her baby born on Indian soil.”

Sunali Khatun’s father, Bhadu Sheikh, in Birbhum, said, "I am very happy that my daughter has got bail. I have not seen her for a long time. I am waiting for her to return now. They were not at fault."

Notably, Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam has been fighting a legal battle for these migrant workers from Birbhum on the instructions of Abhishek Banerjee.

Meanwhile, the SIR form has also arrived at Sunali Khatun's house. However, they are identified as "Bangladeshis" and were imprisoned in Bangladesh. Samirul Islam said, "The anti-Bengali BJP government is silent. But we have faith in the law. We will win."

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