By Parvez Ahmad Rony
Dhaka: In a significant development, Sakina Begum, who had been in police custody in Bangladesh for two months, was granted conditional bail by a Dhaka court on November 23. However, the path for her repatriation to her home in Assam, India, remains unclear, leaving her future mired in legal and procedural uncertainty.
As The Wire had reported, after being deemed a foreigner and allegedly illegally pushed into Bangladesh by authorities in Assam, Sakina Begum found herself in Bangladeshi police custody for entering the country without a passport or visa. Her family in Assam, after being reconnected with Sakina by reporters from the BBC, had been working with those who were looking after Sakina in Dhaka to secure her return.
The Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court ordered Sakina’s release into the custody of Jakia, a woman from Bhashantek, who had provided her shelter after she was allegedly pushed into from India across the border. The bail mandates that Sakina must report to the Bhashantek police station once a week.
Sakina was transported from Kashimpur Jail, located approximately 50 km from Dhaka, for the hearing of her fourth bail application. Her advocate, Advocate Rahmatullah, argued that the charges under which she was held are bailable. He further petitioned the court for her release, citing her advanced age.
The presiding judge reserved the verdict until the afternoon, deliberating on suitable custodial arrangements and the potential process for her eventual repatriation to India.
Earlier in the day, hopes for an immediate release were dashed as Sakina was seen being transported back to Kashimpur Jail in a prison van. This reporter witnessed an emotionally distressed Sakina weeping inside the vehicle, repeatedly asking about her daughter and expressing confusion over the delay in her release.
The final verdict, delivered in the evening, cleared all legal obstacles for her release into Jakia’s custodial care.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.