July Charter Bihari contribution inclusion demanded
Staff Reporter :
A Bihari people’s rally and procession were held in front of the National Press Club on Monday under the initiative of the Bangladesh Bihari Rehabilitation Association (BBRA), demanding inclusion of the Bihari community’s contribution in the July Charter and their immediate rehabilitation.
Earlier, on January 2, 2006, the Bangladesh Bihari Rehabilitation Association (BBRA) submitted the following seven-point demand to the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh through the Dhaka Deputy Commissioner:
Remove all obstacles to establishing their citizenship rights.
Provide allocation/ownership of the camps to those currently residing there as their homes.
Continue free supply of gas, water, and electricity for two years after providing houses or apartments.
Provide financial assistance of at least BDT 300,000 to each family at the time of handing over house allotment deeds. Send at least two able-bodied men from each family abroad for employment. Ensure free government education up to the undergraduate level for Bihari boys and girls up to the age of 35.
Allocate industrial plots to eligible Biharis living outside the camps and provide social security on a priority basis.
Through our movement and with the wholehearted support of the people, the patriotic armed forces, with the cooperation of the Election Commission, included the Urdu-speaking Bihari population living in camps across the country in the voter list. Although this removed a major barrier to their integration into the mainstream society, Biharis are still living in camps in inhumane conditions.
For mysterious reasons, successive governments have failed to rehabilitate the Biharis, wasting billions of taka in the name of camp maintenance. The Bihari leaders demanded the government stop this waste and immediately begin rehabilitation.
Biharis from Mirpur-10, Mirpur-12’s Kalshi area, ECB Square, and Mohammadpur stood shoulder to shoulder with students and the public in the July Revolution that led to the fall of the “killer League” (referring to the Awami League), but no one has acknowledged their contribution. The BBRA leaders at the rally demanded that the sacrifice and contribution of Urdu-speaking Biharis be recognized in the July Charter.
The Bihari speakers also demanded urgent government projects to promote education among the neglected Urdu-speaking Bihari community, alongside their proper rehabilitation, instead of wasting public money.
They expressed deep frustration that even after holding a rally and procession at Shahbagh on October 18, 2024, to demand rehabilitation, the government remained silent. They also expressed astonishment that despite three ongoing writ petitions in the High Court concerning Bihari rehabilitation, the government has yet to respond.
The rally also condemned indiscriminate killings of innocent people by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the border. The Bihari leaders demanded, if necessary, the deployment of Turkish and Chinese troops at the border.
The BBRA also condemned the killing of soldiers in the hilly districts at night and called for the strict suppression and eradication of Indian-backed hill terrorists.
The event was presided over by Md. Kawsar Parvez Bhulu, Central President of the Bangladesh Bihari Rehabilitation Association (BBRA).
Neaz Ahmed Khan, Secretary General of National Awami Party (NAP Bangladesh), attended as the chief guest.
Among others who spoke were BBRA Vice Presidents Md. Zahid, Kutubuddin Shah, Arman Dilliwala, Md. Saban, Asma Begum, Mahatab Bhashani, Abrar Ali Mona, Md. Sonu, Seema Begum, Nannu Mohajan, and July Movement injured activist Javed, among others.