18 Years Later, Still Not Free: 7 days to justice for Badal Farazi

For nearly two decades, Badal Farazi has remained behind bars—while his family waits, hopes, and slowly breaks.

On Monday, standing in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, his loved ones and supporters could no longer hold back their frustration. Forming a human chain, they issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government, demanding a clear decision on his release.

Their voices carried a painful question: “After 18 years of wrongful imprisonment, when will Badal finally be free?”

Among the crowd was his elder sister, Aklima Akter, her words heavy with grief and exhaustion. She spoke not just as a protester, but as a sister who has watched her family fall apart while waiting for justice.

“My brother is innocent. Even after completing his sentence four years ago, he is still in prison,” she said. “How long must we suffer this injustice?”

Her pain runs deeper. Their father died with the hope of seeing his son free—a wish that was never fulfilled. Now, their mother, Shefali Begum, lies critically ill, too weak to even visit the prison.

“She just wants to see her son one last time,” Aklima said, her voice trembling. “Is that too much to ask?”
Badal’s story began in 2008, when he travelled to India as a tourist. Within days, his life took a tragic turn. Mistaken for another man, he was arrested in connection with a murder case in Delhi.

Despite maintaining his innocence, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015. Years passed inside Delhi’s Tihar Jail—but even there, Badal tried to rebuild himself. He completed his education, refusing to let prison define him.

His case later drew attention when a human rights activist launched a campaign for justice. After diplomatic efforts, he was brought back to Bangladesh in 2018.

But freedom never came.

By July 2022, Badal had completed 14 years in prison—the required term under Indian law. That should have marked the end of his suffering. Instead, he remains behind bars, trapped in legal uncertainty.
To his supporters, this is more than a legal issue—it is a human tragedy.

“A man has lost 18 years of his life for something he didn’t do,” said writer Rahitul Islam. “If this isn’t injustice, what is?”

Pavel Babu, a rights activist, echoed the same frustration. “Even if we assume he was guilty, he has served his sentence. Keeping him in prison now is simply inhumane.”

As the crowd dispersed, one message remained clear: time is running out.
If no action is taken within seven days, they have vowed to return—louder, stronger, and more determined.

Because for Badal Farazi’s family, this is not just a protest.
It is their last hope.