Pregnant Indian Citizen Awaits Return From Bangladesh After Supreme Court Intervention

Nine-months-pregnant Sonali Khatun, recently released from Bangladesh's Chapainawabganj jail, is anxiously waiting to return to India with her eight-year-old child.

Her husband, Danish, will remain in Bangladesh as the Indian Centre has contested their citizenship, agreeing to bring only Sonali back on humanitarian grounds while the case proceeds in the Supreme Court.

The 26-year-old mother and her family were apprehended in Delhi and deported to Bangladesh, where they were imprisoned for what Bangladeshi authorities deemed "illegal entry."

After approximately 100 days in custody, Sonali and six others received bail on December 1 from a local court.

Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam, who has been spearheading legal efforts to secure the family's return, stated he has yet to receive updates on the Centre's actions to facilitate Sonali's return to India.

He emphasized that officials who detained them in Delhi for speaking Bengali and subsequently forced them into Bangladesh should be held responsible.

"She is an Indian citizen. Speaking Bengali isn't grounds for deportation to Bangladesh. Her family's documentation includes her parents' names in the SIR list and her grandfather's property registration dating back to 1952. The high court ruled in her favor, and now the Supreme Court has intervened. The Centre must act quickly considering her advanced pregnancy," he told NDTV.

Islam further asserted that not only Sonali but also her husband and another family - Sweety Bibi, her spouse, and their two children - who were pushed across the border on June 27 after being detained by Delhi police on June 18 - are legitimate Indian citizens.

"We have documented evidence that was validated by Calcutta High Court, yet they are not acting accordingly," he stated.

Until Wednesday, he maintained contact with Sonali through social worker Mofizul Islam, who traveled there on a visa to provide assistance.

Mofizul Islam, also a family friend of Sonali, had been residing in Chapainawabganj since their arrest.

The Trinamool MP mentioned that since Mofizul's visa expires Thursday, he will likely return to India.

"We anticipate swift action from the Centre but have not received any updates from them yet," he said.

Bhodu Sheikh, Sonali's father, filed the petition with assistance from the Trinamool MP.

Sheikh presented his case to the Supreme Court after the Centre challenged the Calcutta High Court ruling that declared the deportation "illegal" and confirmed Sonali's citizenship along with six others still detained in Bangladesh.

On Monday, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing West Bengal, requested that the Centre take steps to repatriate all six other deported individuals.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, opposed this suggestion, claiming they are 'Bangladeshis' and that the Centre wishes to contest the Calcutta High Court order overturning their deportation.

On September 26, the Calcutta High Court invalidated the deportation, deeming it "illegal" based on petitions from Bhodu Sheikh and Sweety's brother, Amir Khan, who affirmed their Indian citizenship. The court ordered the return of the seven individuals within one month.

Concerned about contempt proceedings, the Centre also requested the Supreme Court issue notice on their challenge to the high court order and stay any contempt proceedings in the high court.

On Monday, while hearing the Centre's appeal against the high court ruling, the Supreme Court urged Mehta to first consider allowing Sonali and her son to return.

On Wednesday, after the Supreme Court insisted that the state "must bend sometime" on humanitarian grounds, the Centre committed to initiating her return.

A local court in Bangladesh's Chapainawabganj district granted bail on Monday to Sonali, her son, her husband, 32-year-old Sweety Bibi, and her two sons (aged 6 and 16) on humanitarian grounds.

The bail order, accessed by NDTV, noted that they are Indian citizens who were forcibly pushed into Bangladesh through the Birbhum border.

The local court also acknowledged that several Indian human rights organizations have already initiated legal proceedings regarding these individuals.