Family divided

Farhad Hossain and his wife Anjuara were unable to decide whether they should opt for Bangladeshi or Indian nationality.

While Farhad, 45, would like to become an Indian national, his wife wants to register her name as a Bangladesh citizen.

Farhad's family has been living in the Indian enclave Boro Khanki in Nilphamari for more than two decades, but now they will have to choose their nationality and citizenship as an official survey is on to know the enclave dwellers' choice of nationality.

Anjuara's love for Bangladesh is what made her go against her husband. She has her mother-in-law Joigun Bewa and three children on her side. “What shall we do going there [India] with all my friends and relatives in Bangladesh?” she asked.

Farhad's son Alimuzzaman, 23, said, “I would like to live in this country with my wife, mother and grandmother as Bangladesh nationals and hope my father too will do so.”

Joigun said her husband Jafar Ali died in 1973 and was buried in the enclave. “I would like to spend the rest of my life here with my husband's grave before my eyes,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Farhad, however, said, “My enemies filed seven cases against me in Bangladeshi courts and I can no longer bear such mental and physical torture. So I would prefer becoming an Indian citizen for my safety.”

Unable to decide on the nationality option in front of the joint survey team of Indian and Bangladeshi officials on Friday, the family returned home without filling in the prescribed forms.

The joint survey began on July 7 and would continue until July 16.

Following the signing of the land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh after more than six decades, the Bangladeshi enclaves in India and the Indian enclaves in Bangladesh would be exchanged.

Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reported that many living in 42 out of 59 Indian enclaves in three upazilas of Lalmonirhat were away from their home, leaving their registration for nationality uncertain.

Similar is the situation in 52 Indian enclaves inside Kurigram, Nilphamari and Panchagarh districts.

Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shafiqul Islam said they made repeated public announcements calling upon the enclave dwellers to register their names by the July 16 deadline.

Deepak Chandra Lahor, an Indian land official working as a survey official in the Indian enclave of Bhotbari at Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat, said, “No name would be taken for registering in the list after the deadline.”