157 foreigners in country's jails even after serving time

Md Sajjad Hossain, a 45-year-old resident of Tripura, India, finds himself in a Bangladeshi prison for nearly two decades, despite completing his initial jail sentence.

On November 6, 2003, the First-Class Magistrate of Cognizance Court in Khagrachhari sentenced Sajjad to six months imprisonment and fined him Tk 500 in a case filed under the Bangladesh Control of Entry Act, 1952.

His jail sentence was effective from March 14, 2003 and ended on September 28, 2003. But he is still languishing behind bars in a Feni jail for reasons unknown.

This is the story of one man, but it echoes the plight of 156 others -- serving time in Bangladeshi prisons long after their sentences ended.

These findings were disclosed in a report prepared by the office of inspector general (IG), Prisons, in accordance with a High Court order.

Of the detained foreign nationals, 150 are from India, five from Myanmar, and one each from Pakistan and Nepal, it said.

The office of IG Prisons sent the report to the attorney general's office on January 18 for submission before the HC.

Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta, who received the compliance report, told this newspaper yesterday that the office of IG Prisons has not mentioned details in the report as to why foreign nationals could not be repatriated after serving sentences.

He, however, said there are some state procedures for repatriating the foreign prisoners to their homes.

The DAG plans to submit the report to the HC for a March 10 hearing.

The court issued the order in response to a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Bivuti Tarofder, challenging the government officials' inaction in releasing and repatriating Govinda Uriya to India's Tripura from Bangladesh upon completion of his jail term for illegal entry.