They also urged the police to withdraw all cases that were filed recently against the Urdu-speaking people. Earlier, police filed two cases against several Biharis, named and unnamed, for vandalizing a police vehicle during a tripartite clash on October 5 in Mirpur area.
Since the cases were filed, the community has been living in fear of arrest, unable to open the small shops they run. This is making their livelihoods difficult.
The views were expressed at a meeting organised by the Urdu Speaking Peoples Youth Rehabilitation Movement (USPYRM) at Jatia Press Club in the capital.
As the chief guest, Dhaka University’s Professor Mesbah Kamal said that the Biharis should be rehabilitated immediately and compensated.
“Some goons are trying to occupy Geneva Camp’s land. The Biharis are now citizen of Bangladesh at birth. So the government should rehabilitate the Biharis with dignity and cancel all cases immediately,” he also said.
Housing is a basic human right, he said, noting that Biharis are living miserably here. He said the state should bear all the responsibility so that they can live peacefully.
Bangladesh Human Rights Bureau Secretary General Dr Mohammand Shahjahan said that there is no rule of law in the country. What the Biharis are putting up with is inhuman, he added.
“We should follow Prophet Muhammad (S)’s Farewell Sermon to establish rule of law and good governance in country,” he also said.
USPYRM president Md Sadaqat Khan Fakku said that there are around 5 lakh Biharis in the country. Of them, around 1 lakh are in Mirpur area.
“Dhaka North City Corporation councillor (32 no ward) Habibur Rahman Mizan with his associates assaulted Biharis on October 5 during our peaceful agitation. Later, a tripartite clash occurred there. Police filed cases only against us for vandalizing their car. But we are not involved in the vandalizing. So we request the government to cancel all cases immediately,” he said.
He also urged the government to rehabilitate them with dignity as soon as possible and demanded punishment of Mizan.
USPYRM General Secretary Shahid Ali Bablu and others also spoke there.