Despite completing his sentence, Bangladeshi citizen has been in jail for eight months.

Forbesganj/Araria, 15 October (Hindustan Reporter). Despite their release orders, two Bangladeshi citizens have been in jail for the last eight months. The judge has ordered the release of both the Bangladeshis after completing their sentence, but due to the lax attitude of the Araria district administration and the Home Department, both have not been able to return to their homeland. Even today, despite his release, he is serving his sentence.

SSB and police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals from the border area on 23 August 2020 during an operation in Basmatia police station area located in Narpatganj block of India-Nepal border area of ​​Araria district. According to the FIR, on August 23, 2020, three Bangladeshi citizens were caught with the help of villagers in a joint action of SSB and police while going to Nepal from near the house of Shyam Sundar Mandal located in Bela Ward No. 5.

The then Basmatia police station incharge Paritosh Kumar Das was also present during the action. The three Bangladeshi nationals were identified as Maslehuddin Mian, Dilawar alias Dilbar and Alamin Hussain. Jaishankar Pandey, commander of the ninth company of the SSB 56th battalion, had lodged an FIR under sections 420, 370, 34 of the Indian Penal Code and section 14 (A) of the Foreigners Act 1946 on 23 August 2020 at Basmatia police station. A charge sheet was filed in the case on 19 October 2020, of which the court took cognizance on 25 November 2020 and on 12 May 2023, the District and Sessions Judge framed charges in the case. After the charges were proved, the District and Sessions Judge gave his verdict in the case on 16 January 2024. The Bangladeshi nationals were found guilty under the Foreigners Act 1946 and the District Judge sentenced them to a fine of Rs 10,000, terming the time spent in jail from 24 August 2020 to 16 January 2024 as punishment.

In case of non-payment of fine amount, he was ordered to undergo additional punishment of 15 days. In his decision, the District and Sessions Judge also gave a copy of the judgment to Araria District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Jail Superintendent and District Legal Services Authority and ordered them to adopt the necessary legal procedure to send Bangladeshi citizens to their country Bangladesh. It is said that Bangladeshi Maslehuddin Mian lived in Sunsari, Nepal and he had come from Bela in the district to take both of them with him.

Dilawar and Alamin had crossed the border from Bangladesh and reached Kolkata. Then from there he reached Purnia by truck and then by auto and second ride to Bela in Araria district. Where while crossing the border, all three were caught by SSB and police. In this context, Vinay Kumar Thakur, Chief of Legal and Defense Council and former President of Bar Council Araria, said that the case of the two Bangladeshis, who remained in jail even after completing their sentence, falls in the category of human rights violation. Both the Bangladeshis have completed their sentence and have been released by the court. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of the district administration and the Home Department to talk to the Bangladesh Ambassador and send them to their homeland.