A Dhaka court has rejected the bail petition of Sakina Begum, who was allegedly “pushed in” from India.
The court stated that due to legal complications, it was not possible to grant her bail.
Sakina was brought before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka for a bail hearing on Monday.
After a 15-minute hearing, the court denied her bail.
Following the hearing, several female police officers escorted her out of the courtroom.
Speaking briefly to journalists, Sakina said she had been unwell earlier but was now feeling better.
Legal complications
Sakina’s lawyer, Shariful Islam, said the charge against her is that she has been staying in Bangladesh without a visa or passport.
The punishment for residing in the country without proper documents is up to one year of imprisonment and a fine of Tk1,000. This section is bailable, he added.
Elderly woman pushed into Bangladesh, placed under judicial custodyHowever, the court argued that since the accused came from India and is an Indian citizen, granting her bail could allow her to return to India, which would obstruct the trial proceedings. The court sought clarification on how the trial would continue if that happened.
Another lawyer representing Sakina, Rahmatullah Siddique, said she is elderly and suffers from age-related complications such as asthma. “She can barely speak and is extremely weak,” he said. The court has ordered that she receive medical care as per jail regulations.
Around five and a half months ago, Sakina was picked up from her home in Assam by local police. She was later handed over to India’s Border Security Force (BSF), after which her family lost all contact with her.
This September, she was found in Mirpur, Dhaka.
The 65-year-old woman told reporters that the BSF had pushed her across the border into Bangladesh. Following media reports on the matter, police took her into custody and produced her before a court, which ordered her to Kashimpur Women’s Jail in Gazipur.
A case was filed against her for illegal entry into Bangladesh.
