Pregnant woman from Bengal forced into Bangladesh released from prison on bail

A pregnant woman from West Bengal, Sunali Khatun, who was pushed into Bangladesh by Indian authorities in June on allegations of being an undocumented immigrant, and later jailed there for “illegal entry”, was released on bail on Monday evening, The Times of India reported.

She walked out of Chapainawabganj jail at around 7.30 pm along with her husband Danish Sk, their eight-year-old son Shabir and Sweety Bibi and her two sons, after more than three months in custody.

Their release followed a local court order that granted them bail on humanitarian grounds. A Bangladeshi citizen stood surety for the group and provided a bail bond of 5,000 taka.

The development came on the same day that the Indian Supreme Court asked the Union government to consider allowing Khatun and her son to return “on humanitarian grounds”, The Indian Express reported.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted Khatun’s advanced pregnancy and asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek instructions on whether she could be permitted to re-enter India through the Malda border.

The Supreme Court, however, did not make any statement on the return of her husband. The case is slated to be heard further on Wednesday, the newspaper reported.

Earlier in the day, the Chapainawabganj court accepted arguments that the group included...

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