7-day ultimatum demanding release of Badal Farazi

Despite four years having passed since his sentence ended, Badal Farazi has yet to be released, prompting anger from his relatives.

They have also threatened stronger protests if a clear directive for his release is not issued within the next seven days.

This announcement was made during a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the capital on Monday afternoon.

The programme was held with the slogan “18 years of wrongful conviction, from India to Bangladesh! When will Badal Farazi be free?”

This human chain was organised under the banner of ''People of all walks of life in Bangladesh''.

Badal Farazi's elder sister Aklima Akter, Pavel Babu, co-founder of Protyasha Foundation, and Rahitul Islam, author of the book ''Badaler Karabas'', among others, participated.

Seeking her brother’s release, Badal Farazi’s elder sister Aklima Akter said, "India sent him to Bangladesh under a prisoner exchange agreement because Badal Farazi is innocent. However, the Bangladesh government has not released him. His sentence ended four years ago according to Indian law, yet he has not been freed. My brother is being unjustly detained. When will this inhumanity end?"

Addressing the current government, Aklima Akter said, "My father died hoping for his son’s release. My mother, Shefali Begum, is also on her deathbed. She longs for one last glimpse of her son. However, due to physical weakness, she is no longer able to visit the prison. Please make arrangements so that my mother can see her son once before she passes. Who will hear our pleas, and whom should we turn to? We urge the government to show empathy towards my brother and release him. We have nothing more to ask for."

Badal Farazi went to India on 13 July 2008, to visit the Taj Mahal. On 6 May of that year, an elderly woman was murdered in Amar Colony, Delhi.

Various Indian newspapers report that Badal Farazi was arrested at the Benapole border, mistaken for Badal Singh.

He was detained on 21 July 2008. On 7 August 2015, a Delhi court sentenced Badal Farazi to life imprisonment. An appeal was made to the Delhi High Court against the verdict, but the lower court's ruling was upheld. Badal's life continued in Delhi's Tihar Jail, where he completed his secondary, higher secondary, and undergraduate studies.

At one point, Badal Farazi got in touch with human rights activist Rahul Kapoor, who went for prisoner counseling. This led to the initiation of a signature campaign titled ''Justice for Badal''. Rahul contacted the Bangladesh High Commission in India. After government efforts, he was sent back to Bangladesh in July 2018.

As of 20 July 2022, Badal Farazi has already served 14 years of his sentence. Following Indian court orders, after serving his life sentence, he was supposed to be released on 20 July. However, despite four years having passed since his scheduled release, he remains in prison due to legal complications.

Author Rahitul Islam wrote a book about this incident titled ''Badaler Karabas''. During the human chain, he said, "A person has been imprisoned for 18 years solely because of a name similarity. Nothing could be more inhumane. We ask the government, when will Badal Farazi be freed? If there are any legal complications, resolve them within the next seven days. If the government doesn’t decide on his release within this time, we will take to the streets again."

Pavel Babu, co-founder of Protyasha Foundation, remarked, "One question remains—when will Badal be released? Even if we assume for argument’s sake that he is Badal Singh, he has completed his sentence. So why is he still not being released? This is a severe violation of human rights."

Issuing a seven-day ultimatum, Pavel Babu said that the government must provide a clear statement regarding his release within the next seven days. "If no justice is served in this matter, we will be forced to return to the streets and announce a stringent course of action."