Covid-19 Impact on the Minority of Bangladesh in the Global Pandemic

by admin | Oct 5, 2021 | ELMRRB

Project Report | November-2020 to October 2021 | Click for PDF File

Introduction:
This project, carried out by the Council of Minorities, was working towards understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the Urdu speaking community. By conducting research through a baseline survey the project has gained a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on the community. The research findings were being used to train paralegals and volunteers to become ‘rights defenders.’ Rights advocates undertake casework in which they have assisted community members through legal procedures, bridging the gap between the community and the government. Their work facilitates access to essential government services and provides support to the formerly stateless Bihari community, stateless persons or those at risk of stateless persons through a variety of social challenges such as domestic violence. This project aims were  collaborate with legal organizations, engage with key stakeholders including District Commissioners and representatives of local government, the National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation, Members of Parliament and relevant UN Agencies, including UNHCR and UNDP. By working with and advocating before such stakeholders, the project aims to promote the prioritization of this community in COVID-19 relief and raise concerns regarding the 2016 Draft Citizenship Bill.

Community Background:

Approximately three hundred thousand Urdu-speaking Biharis, a linguistic minority, are living in 116 inhuman camps in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh they are identified in the local society by different nomenclatures, such as non-Bengalis, Biharis and Urdu- speaking. In 2008 the honorable High Court of Bangladesh confirmed their citizenship and gave their name as Urdu Speaking Bangladeshi. The history of the Urdu-speaking Bangladeshi community goes back to the partition of the Indian sub-continent.

In 1947 the sub-continent experienced two historical events: the creation of India and Pakistan and the mass migration of Hindus, Muslims and Sikh communities. When India was divided the creation of Pakistan forced many Indian Muslims to migrate from their original homeland to East and West Pakistan. Most of immigrants from the Indian States of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal came to East Pakistan (which is now Bangladesh). The majority of them were Urdu-speaking. They were called as “Mohajirs” meaning refugee, and later they became known as Biharis and Stranded Pakistani in Bangladesh.

In December 1971, Bengalis in East Pakistan won independence after fighting the nine- month war of liberation with the Pakistan Army. During the war a section of the Urdu-speaking Bihari community opposed the creation of Bangladesh. For that, after the emergence of Bangladesh in 16 December 1971, the Biharis became victims of political violence. About one hundred thousand Biharis were killed by Bengali freedom fighters. They lost their properties, services, jobs, and became homeless and stateless.

Over the past five decades, the Government of Bangladesh has made some effort to improve the rights and welfare of Biharis. In 2008, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court recognized Bihari’s right to citizenship in Bangladesh and called for their inclusion on voter rolls. However, the living conditions in Bihari camps remain poor. The Bangladesh Government has long promised to “rehabilitate” Biharis—to provide them housing outside the camps that is integrated into the Bangladeshi community. This has not occurred. Socially and politically, Biharis-Urdu Speaking is marginalized community. Urdu Speaking camp dwellers are Bangladeshi citizens,however, they are not treated as a linguistic minority in Bangladesh. 49 years after the independence of Bangladesh the camp dwellers have now stayed over five decades in these settlements, which is a classic example of a subhuman lifestyle.

Objectives:

• Research the impacts of COVID-19 on stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness in Dhaka, Chittagong and Saidpur.
• Establish a rights advocate system to help affected persons access government services and address community and domestic issues.
• Engage in national advocacy with Bangladesh Government and humanitarian actors to address the insufficiencies of the 2016 Draft Citizenship Bill.

Activities as per objectives:

1. Establish Rights Defenders
2. Conducted a baseline survey on Covid-19 Impact on the community
3. Rights Defenders activities;
4. Daily door to door outreach
5. Organize community group meeting

• Organize advocacy meeting

1. Covid-19 vaccination registration
2. National level advocacy on the impact of covid-19
3. Relief distribution
4. National Seminar;

Establish Rights Defenders:

At the beginning of this project we have selected 10 community rights defenders from Dhaka- Mohammadpur & Mirpur, Rangpur and Saidpur and after that we have organized a 3 days residential training on rights defenders. In the training we have trained them on human rights, gender, community activism, Covid-19 protection including vaccination and outreach message dissemination.

Conducted a baseline survey on Covid-19 Impact on the community:       

The data collection for this study was conducted through an extensive survey conducted by 13 data collectors who were trained for interview data collection and research ethics. The geographical scope of the study spanned Dhaka, Rangpur and Saidpur where the Bihari camps are situated, having varying population sizes among them. A total of 196 interviews were conducted and the number conducted in a given area was proportionate to the number of families in that region. The survey questionnaire is attached in the Annex and covered issues including levels of awareness and responses to COVID-19, impact of the pandemic, role of the government and broader issues of identity and citizenship. The study also uses secondary data collected from government census, circulars, and reports, and documents produced by human rights organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, UN agencies and various media outlets.

Rights Defenders Activities:

Daily Door to Door Outreach
Our ten rights defenders did daily door to door outreach and they were committed to visit at list 10 houses inside the camp of their assigned area and disseminated the message of Covid-19, civil documentation, government scope regarding the Covid-19. They mobilized the camp community to maintain social distance inside and outside the camp, using face mask and also wash hands regularly. This was the first initiative from the defenders to aware the camp community from the Covid-19 as global pandemic. A total number of 11,629 door to door outreach have been done by the ten rights defenders in 4 working areas including 3,178 male and 8,451female.

Door to door outreach

Community Group Meeting:

Ten rights defenders in 4 working areas conducted a total number of 110 community group meetings. They invited 15 mix groups in each group meeting. A total number of 1,650 community people attended in the group meeting including 127 male and 1,523 female. Rights defenders disseminate the information of Covid-19, human rights, domestic violation and citizenship issue in the group meetings.

Group Meeting

Advocacy Meeting:

In 4 working areas rights defenders organized 4 advocacy meetings. A total number of participants were 120 including 35 male and 85 female. In the meeting defenders briefly described about the project and baseline survey findings and also discussed about draft citizenship bill. Beside our advocacy meeting we have done national level advocacy on six month project impact report. We have translated and published the report and distributed to civil society national and international NGOs, UN and national human rights commission.

Advocacy Meeting:

Covid-19 Vaccination Registration:

From January, 2021 Bangladesh government has started vaccination for its nationals. In the first phase they announced 40 year old and above 40 years old citizens can register their name for Covid-19 Vaccination, however the process of registration was difficult it was online basis so that many of citizens faced difficulties to register their name. Bihari camp dwellers are Bangladeshi citizens and they have national identity card so they can do their registration no any legal barrier, but they need device, internet and printer for print out the vaccine card. At the middle of our project out rights defenders have started vaccine registration work inside the camps. Initially they face challenges to register the camp dwellers name because camp dwellers were not willing to get vaccine, they were afraid for its side effect then after our rights defenders started awareness on vaccination inside the camps and they mobilized them to register their name for vaccination. A total 582 camp dwellers registered and vaccinated two does vaccine including 279 male and 303 female.

Vaccination Registration:

Covid-19 Emergency Relief Distribution:

COvid-19 is a global pandemic and its impact has been experienced by globally. As a part of global pandemic, Bangladesh also faced difficulties during the first and second wave of Covid-19. In 2020 and 2021 Bangladesh government has shutdown the country several times. Camp based Bihari community engage in informal sector of work; mainly they are day labor, barber, butcher, rickshawpuller and handy craft worker. Even they are living in under poverty line. During the country lockdown camp dwellers did not get access to go out and work. It was very difficult times for the camp people. They did not get government relief food. Under this project we have distributed emergency food relief to the 800 families in 4 working areas in Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Rangpur and Saidpur camps.

National Seminar:

At the end of the project we have organized a national seminar on 27 of October, 2021 in Dhaka. A total number of 60 participants attended the meeting. All the representatives from different camp described the current situation of the camps and citizenship issues.

Discussion on the meeting;

Mrs. Kajol Rekha a Geneva Camp resident said, I born in this country and I own Bangladesh, I am not stranded Pakistani.

Mrs. Ruma Parveen said, according to 2008 high court judgement we are Bangladeshi citizens then why Prime Minister said that we are burden in Bangladesh, we are not burden because we are hard working community and contributing Bangladeshi economy.

Humayoun Kabir, a representative from Khulna, urged the authorities concerned to ensure proper recognition of the disadvantaged community. “We all are Bangladeshis, not stranded Pakistanis,” he said.

Mofidul Hoque, a trustee of the liberation war museum, said the young generation of the community had ownership of the country. “You have the same rights in Bangladesh as other citizens and you should also raise the issue of war criminals.  We are determined that all war criminals be punished in this land. I support your cause and believe you all are Bangladeshi citizens.”

Speaking as the chief guest of the event, Sultana Kamal, a lawyer and human rights activist, said, “I’m happy to be here and I believe you are a part of this country. But if someone claims to be a stranded Pakistani, they too have their rights and as a human rights activist, I will support them to go back to their country,” she said. “If you, however, believe this is your country, then your rights cannot be taken by anyone,” she said.

Project Impact:

During the global pandemic this project was super impactful for the camp based Bihari community in Bangladesh. Before this project camp dwellers were not much aware about the Covid-19 and its protection mechanisms. A large number of camp dwellers were aware under this project. Around 14,838 people life have been touch through this project.

Next Step:

After the successful completion of this project we realize that we need more policy level advocacy and more research on citizenship practice and evaluation of 2008 high court judgment. Biharis are Bangladeshi citizens but without any benefits so that need more awareness on their citizenship issue and for that we think we need to make some documentary film photo exhibition on the life of the camp dwellers. Even during the project we realize that working on gender issue is very important for this community.

Empowering Linguistic Minority to Realize Rights in Bangladesh

by admin | May 5, 2021 | ELMRRB

Annual Report | June 2020 to May 2021 | Click for PDF File

Beneficiary Community: Approximately 300,000 Bihari Urdu speaking camp dwellers have been living in 116 camps of 13 regions in urban settings across Bangladesh. Bihari Urdu Speaking community is a political victim of 1971. Almost four decades they passed their life as stateless. However, they have ended their statelessness in 2003 and 2008. A group of young generation from Geneva Camp first time filed a writ petition in High Court and claimed as Bangladeshi citizens and after a year high court declared that the Bihari those are living in 116 Camps all over in Bangladesh they are Bangladeshi citizens and Urdu Speaking Bangladeshi. Bihari Urdu Speaking Community living in 116 in inhuman refugee like camps situation without having basic facilities as human being. All the Camps are urban based in Dhaka-Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Adamjee, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Bogura, Saidpur, Khulna, Ishwardi and Chittagong.

Project Justification:

However, in 2008, the High Court of Bangladesh confirmed that the Ur-du-speaking camp dwellers are Bangladeshi citizens, and this landmark verdict raises a hope among the young Urdu-speakers ending of decades-long struggle with statelessness. Due to lack of mass awareness on the High Court landmark verdict among the general people and government official, the camp dwellers have not only been deprived from their civil and political rights but also from their socioeconomic and cultural rights. The Urdu speaking camp dwellers are yet to enjoy the citizenship rights and have been facing difficulties to get their national identity card, enroll in voter list, passport and access to basic services provided by government and non-government service providers.

Considering their deprivation and sufferings to have full access to citizenship rights, since June 2013, in partnership with Naorik Uddyog and Council of Minorities funded by NAMATI-US have been working to promote their citizenship rights considering the following objectives:

• To build an effective model for using legal empowerment approaches, specifically community-based paralegals, to facilitate the acquisition and use of identity documents to gain access to rights and opportunities part of the core content of citizenship;
• To develop robust evidence on the relationship between identity documentation and statelessness, including current government practice and discrimination that may contribute to an ongoing lack of effective citizenship, despite the possession of identity documents;
• To encourage use of this evidence for national litigation and national or international advocacy efforts related to gaining access to effective citizenship rights, if necessary.

Project overview:

To respond to these justice challenges, in 2013 the Council of Minorities and Nagorik Uddyog partnered to establish a network of community-based paralegals in Urdu-speaking camps funded by NAMATI-US in Dhaka (Mirpur and Mohammadpur), Mymensingh, Khulna, Chittagong, and Saidpur under the project of “Empowering Linguistic Minority to Realize Rights in Bangladesh”. Community-based paralegals can bridge the gap between law and real life. They use knowledge of law and government, and skills like negotiation, community education, organizing, and advocacy to seek concrete solutions to instances of injustice. In addition to serving as a dynamic “frontline” of justice service providers, paralegals focus on empowerment. They not only work alongside clients to resolve a legal issue, but also leave each client in a stronger position to deal with similar problems in the future – critical in the Urdu-speaking community, which has been marginalized through statelessness, discrimination, and poverty.

In total 14 paralegals are working in six paralegal centers in Dhaka- Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Saidpur, Mymensingh, Khulna and in Chittagong. Paralegals are working three ways that are

• i) Assist to the Camp dwellers to achieve civil documents
• ii) Awareness on legal education and access to justice
• iii) Capacity building of community

Challenge of Covid-19:

The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh is a part of the worldwide pandemic of corona virus disease 2019.  The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bangladesh in March 2020. The first three known cases were reported on 8 March 2020 by the country’s epidemiology institute, IEDCR. Since then, the pandemic has spread day by day over the whole nation and the number of affected people has been increasing.

In order to protect the population, the government declared “lockdown” throughout the nation from 23 March to 30 May and prepared some necessary steps to spread awareness to keep this syndrome away from them. Infections remained low until the end of March but saw a steep rise in April. On 13 June, the number of cases in Bangladesh exceeded the number of cases in China, the country where the outbreak began. First three months of country lockdown from March to May our paralegals activities were completely stop because our working areas the camps are densely populated urban spaces, in which social distancing was impossible.

Assist to the Camp dwellers to achieve civil documents

Paralegals are assisting the camp dwellers to achieve civil documents like Birth and Death Certificates, Councilor Certificate, National Identity Card, Passport, Tread License, General Dairy, Opening Bank Account, Health Support, Education Support, Old Age Allowance, Disable Allowance, Ration Card & Waris Certificate.

Civil documents achieved in six centers from June 2020 to May 2021

Testimonial of civil documents

Name: Abul Hashem (63)
Address: 1 No. Camp, Khliashpur, Khulna
Cell: 01972232672

Paralegal: Naj Parvin

Name: Mst. Husne-Ara (40)
Address: Rasulpur Camp, Saidpur
Cell: 01715748989

Paralegal: Nagma Parveen

Awareness on legal education and access to justice

After the end of country lockdown in end of May 2020 our paralegals again started their daily door to door outreach inside the camps. Paralegals are building awareness on Covid-19 awareness, legal education and access to justice within the camp community through door to door outreach, organizing community group meeting and screening legal awareness documentary film in the camps. These three ways they are disseminating the message of legal education and access to justice.

Daily Outreach:

Every day paralegals are doing outreach inside the Camp. During the outreach in Covid-19 situation they are minting social distancing issue and wearing face mask and using hand sanitizer while in the field. Through the outreach   they disseminate the message of Covid-19 protection and importance of Covid-19 vaccine, 2008 high court judgment, importance and uses of the civil documentation like birth certificate, national identity card, passport, trade license and other many services.  Every day they are assigned to visit at list 5 houses in their rotational weekly plan.  Through the daily outreach paralegals reached 42,126 Camp dwellers and disseminated the message of 2008 high court judgment, uses and importance of the   civil documentations in in their daily life.

Community Group Meeting:

Paralegals organize community group meeting and they invite 15 women, men, boys and girls to attend the community group meeting. In the group meeting they disseminate the message of 2008 high court judgment and realize them how Biharis have ended their statelessness through the high court. In the group meeting they discuss about the importance and uses of the civil documentations in their daily life. In June 2020 to May 2021, project period paralegals organized total 504 group meetings with the participants of 7,560 community members.

Covid-19 Awareness Meeting and Assist for Vaccination

Paralegals organized awareness meeting on Covid-19 in the most risky and red zone areas in Mirpur, Mohammadpur & Mymensingh. Through this community meeting they discriminate the message of social distancing issue, hand wash, using face mask and avoid the public places. They also described the importance of covd-19 vaccine.

Pro-bono Workshop for capacity building of the community

In June 2020 to May 2021 we have organized 24 pro-bono workshop in 6 paralegal centers and invited 40 community members consist of 20 women and 20 boys & girls together in each center. We have educated them to learn the making of civil documentation themselves without anyone’s help and inspired them to assist others to get these civil documentations. Community people expressed their gratitude to Council of Minorities and NAMATI for their initiative and hard work for the camp dwellers. They also demand to continue this project because civil documentations are one of the key element for the camp dwellers to claim them self as Bangladeshi Citizens.

Empowering Linguistic Minority to Realize Rights in Bangladesh

by admin | May 9, 2020 | ELMRRB

Empowering Linguistic Minority to Realize Rights in Bangladesh June, 2018- May, 2019 

by admin | May 5, 2019 | ELMRRB

Annual Report | Click for PDF File

Council of Minorities and Namati are supporting the community-based paralegals to work in Urdu-speaking camps across five cities in Bangladesh. The paralegals are empowering their fellow Urdu-speakers to understand their rights as citizens and to obtain and use legal identity documents. Paralegals also track each case to build an empirical understanding of how relevant laws are implemented.

Community history and context

Approximately 300,000 Bihari Urdu speaking camp dwellers have been living in 116 camps of 13 regions in urban settings across Bangladesh. In 1947, India was partitioned into two country-India and Pakistan. That partition forced the religious minorities of both countries to leave their ancestors’ homes and take shelter in Pakistan or India to protect and promote their religion, culture, language and economic interests. The Urdu speaking Muslim minority of the Indian provinces of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orisha  and West Bengal migrated to the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

In 1971, East Pakistan revolted against the rule of West Pakistan and fought a 9-month war of liberation, which resulted in the emergence of Bangladesh in 16^th December 1971. A small section of the Urdu speaking community played an anti-liberation role by siding with the Pakistan army and therefore, at the end of the war Biharis became victims of the situation and were forced to abandon their homes, business, properties and employment. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) built large and small settlements Camps all over in Bangladesh and to provide shelter, food and medical support to the displaced Biharis. These settlements, approximately 116 in number, are commonly known as Bihari camps. Residents were in effect stateless, without identity documents to recognize citizenship in any country.

However, in 2008, the High Court of Bangladesh confirmed that the Ur-du-speaking camp dwellers are Bangladeshi citizens, and this landmark verdict raises a hope among the young Urdu-speakers ending of decades-long struggle with statelessness. The landmark decision was the result of filing a writ petition by 11 camp residents on behalf of the whole community. After this 2008 verdict, the Election Commission complied with court orders to enroll camp residents in the national voter lists and issue national identity cards.

Due to lack of mass awareness on the High Court landmark verdict among the general people and government official, the camp dwellers have not only been deprived from their civil and political rights but also from their socioeconomic and cultural rights. The Urdu speaking camp dwellers are yet to enjoy the citizenship rights and have been facing difficulties to get their national identity card, enroll in voter list, passport and access to basic services provided by government and non-government service providers.

Considering their deprivation and sufferings to have full access to citizenship rights, since June 2013, in partnership with Namati Council of Minorities have been working to promote their citizenship rights considering the following objectives:

• To build an effective model for using legal empowerment approaches, specifically community-based paralegals, to facilitate the acquisition and use of identity documents to gain access to rights and opportunities part of the core content of citizenship;
• To develop robust evidence on the relationship between identity documentation and statelessness, including current government practice and discrimination that may contribute to an ongoing lack of effective citizenship, despite the possession of identity documents;
• To encourage use of this evidence for national litigation and national or international advocacy efforts related to gaining access to effective citizenship rights, if necessary.

Legal empowerment approach through community paralegal:

In order to bridge between law and real life of the Urdu speaking communities in the country, we have been providing paralegal legal support through five communitybased paralegal centers in Dhaka (Mirpur and Mohammadpur), Mymensingh, Khulna, Chittagong, and Syedpur. Camp dwellers and others who have questions or need on legal support come to our paralegal centres. 15 youths are assigned as community based paralegals to provide knowledge on law and government information to the community people and providing skills like negotiation, community education, approach of organizing and advocacy to seek concrete solutions to instances of injustice. In addition, they are serving as a dynamic “frontline” of justice service providers, paralegals focus on empowerment. They are not only working for resolving client’s legal issues but also building each client capacity that they can deal with problems related with access to justice in future.

Paralegals do outreach, every day door to door visit, organize community group meeting and community forum. At paralegal centers, paralegals provide information about the law, prepare application in the paralegal center, accompany theclients to government office to apply and they do follow up on delays and denials of the cases.

KEY FACTS AND FIGURES | June 2018- May 2019

Activities Summary table

June 2018 to May 2019

Legal Education

Paralegals organize community group meeting, community legal forum and community advocacy meeting. They invite 10-15 women, men, boys and girls to attend the community group meeting. In the group meeting they disseminate the message of 2008 high court judgment and realize them how Biharis have ended their statelessness through the high court. In the group meeting and forum they discuss about the importance and uses of the civil documentations in their daily life. In every center every month they organize one community forum and invite 50 community members including men, women, boys and girls.

Community Group Meeting, June 2018 to May 2019

Community Legal Form, June 2018 to May 2019

Community Advocacy Meeting, June 2018 to May 2019

Once in a year they organize community advocacy meeting and invite 40 members including men, women, boys and girls and discuss about the importance and uses of the civil documentations in their daily life.

Weekly Outreach, June 2018 to May 2019

Every day paralegals are doing outreach inside the Camp. During the outreach they disseminate the message of 2008 high court judgment, importance and uses of the civil documentation like birth certificate, national identity card, passport, trade license and other many services.  Every day they are assigned to visit at least 5 houses in their rotational weekly plan.

Weekly Outreach, June 2019 to November 2019 (Semi-annually)

Every day paralegals are doing outreach inside the Camp. During the outreach they disseminate the message of 2008 high court judgment, importance and uses of the civil documentation like birth certificate, national identity card, passport, trade license and other many services.  Every day they are assigned to visit at least 5 houses in their rotational weekly plan.