Public Benefit Litigation: Refugee Status of Bangladesh Minorities in India

PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 24, 2007 – Santa Clara, California, June 22nd, 2007 – HRCBM announce today that it has filed a writ before the Calcutta High Court for consideration of granting and declaring Bangladesh Minorities, who took shelter in India to escape violence in their home country, as “refugees”.
The writ petition No WP11718w/2007 dated June 19th, 2007 called for Honorable Calcutta High Court comprising chief justice S.S. Nirjhar and Justice Deba Prasad Sengupta at court 1 to issue order calling upon the Government of India and the state Government of West Bengal respectively as to why Bangladesh Minorities who are currently residing in India escaping violence at their home country cannot be declared as “Refugees”.  
The petition was moved by HRCBM’s Advocate, Mr. Jasobanta Rakshit and the chapter head of HRCBM-West Bengal, Mr. Subash Chakrabarty.
A Court notice has already been served to both the Government of India and the state Government of West Bengal.
The honorable Calcutta High Court will convene on this matter soon after the receipt of formal response of the respondents to appear before the court.
The date of formal proceedings will be announced by HRCBM soon after notification from the honorable high court.
Minorities of Bangladesh are subject to state sponsored discrimination and religious hate crime targeted against them in Bangladesh. Since 1971, millions of Bangladesh minorities have taken shelter to various Indian states, whose existence in the country is often denied by government of India. As a result, millions of refugees who escaped Bangladesh and continued till date are deprived of their rights under International law. Their plights are often ignored by the International community as well.
This public benefit litigation is expected to draw attention to the plights of millions of these refugees and bring to light the obligation of UN and Governments of both India and Bangladesh.
Earlier in 2006, HRCBM had filed a public benefit litigation at High Court division of Bangladesh Supreme Court requesting it’s intervention for the protection of Bangladesh minorities. Although honorable Bangladesh High court ordered rule nisi on Government of Bangladesh, justice is yet to be served. It is to be noted that Bangladesh Government ignored the order of country’s high court denying justice to thousands of country’s minorities.