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| Section: 1 | | ||||||||||
| Unwanted and Forgotten / Photo Essay | ||||||||||
| Photographer(s): Amirul Rajiv (BA in photography,Final Year,Pathshala) | ||||||||||
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About 200,000 to 300,000 Biharis are currently housed in 66 camps all over Bangladesh (Refugees International) and in more than 30 years little has changed for these stranded Biharis who are still forced to live in slums that are extremely over-populated. Often referred to as “stranded Pakistanis”, these people were displaced when Bangladesh gained independence from West Pakistan in 1971. With neither country offering citizenship, they have lived as stateless people for the past 34 years. All they want is to return to Pakistan with their families, even though more than two generations of those in the camps were born and bred in Bangladesh. Between 1974 and 1992, some 175,000 Biharis were relocated to Pakistan, but efforts have yet to resume despite promises made by Pakistani and Bangladeshi officials. The people in the camps look just like any Bangladeshi, only that they are Shiate Muslims. They also have a different mother tongue, Bihari, although they are fluent in Bangla as well. But without citizenships, they are unable to obtain jobs in the government sector or work as professionals. Their children cannot study in local government schools because the family cannot afford to pay for education, and the children have often been turned away after it was found that they were Biharis. Recently the Power Division of Bangladesh cut off the power supply without warning to all 66 camps, alleging the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management had yet to pay an outstanding bill of 44.8 crore taka (US 7.5 million) on behalf of the camps. The water supply in the camps became contaminated with sewage, and the camp residents had no choice but to continue drinking it. Their food relief programmes was halted by the District Commission on account of an administrative problem with the committee handling the programme. And surprisingly it is not known if it will be resumed in the near future. According to the UNHCR the Biharis do not fit their specific definition of “refugee”, and hence are out of their jurisdiction. Camp residents say that although they have been visited by many people, with so many reports being written about them, they have yet to see any sign of improvement. Therefore, without any doubt for the Biharis, who live in the inhuman and unhygienic conditions of these camps, the future looks bleak unless both the governments (Pakistani and Bangladeshi) resolve this issue. |
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| Photo Essay | ||||||||||
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| HR Pioneers | ||||||||
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| Ain o Salish Kendro (ASK), is a legal aid and human rights resource centre. It provides free legal aid to the poor- women, workers and child workers... >> details | ||||||||
| In Brief | ||||||||
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22 percent of country's population poor, destitute women
Dhaka, Feb 6 (BDNEWS)- About 22 percent of the total population of the country are poor and destitute women. According to women affairs directorate, there are 17,39,542 poor and destitute women in the country.13/02/06 >> details |
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Drik 2001-2004