In June 2013 Council of Minorities and NAMATI started a community based
paralegal project inside the camps.Our paralegals are assisting to the Camp
community to achieve civil documentations like birth certificate, national identity
card, passport, trade license and others citizenship documents. Within five years
we have successfully achieved 8,700 birth certificates however in some places
our birth registrations have been rejected due to the camp address. The authority
require electricity bill and permanent address but we do not have any permanent
address without the camp address and even our electricity is free provided the
government.
There is no change in the socio-economic status of the Biharis. Despite we have
national Identity Card and becoming voters. Camp dwellers face discrimination
in every part of their life. It is very unfortunate for Mohammadpur, Mirpur and
Chittagong Camps dwellers are denied to get passport. Their passports are
rejecting due to the camp address. Investigation officers always said that Biharis
and Rohyngas are not able to get passport. Whenever our paralegals talk with the
investigation officers and they said we have written instruction form the home
ministry.
Then after in 2014 I have asked to home ministry under the Right to Information
act (RTI) that do you have any policy to provide passport to the Bihar camp
dwellers and after 1.5 months I got an order from home ministry and the order
said that Biharis are able to get passport. Now even though we have an order from
the home ministry but repeatedly our passports are rejecting.
In May 2015 I have filed complain to National Human Rights Commission
regarding our passport rejection and NHRC has issued 7 letters to the home
ministry and copied to me. However, no response from the home ministry after
received 7 letters from NHRC.
At the international level the aim to end statelessness by 2024. But in 2015 the
cabinet of the government of Bangladesh has approved a draft citizenship bill.
The matter is now under the consideration of the parliament. There are so many
sections are contradictory to create statelessness in Bangladesh. But I trust our
government will review the bill before enact in the parliament.