Sunali out of Bangla jail on bail, eager to ‘return home’
Times of India | 2 December 2025
Kolkata: A heavily pregnant Sunali Khatun, who was pushed into Bangladesh by the Indian authorities in June on charges of being an illegal settler and has spent three-and-a-half-months in a prison there, walked out of the jail around 7.30 pm on Monday after being granted bail.
Along with Sunali, her husband Danish Sk, their eight-year-old son Shabir and Sweety Biwi were also released on bail.
A Bangladeshi named Farooq Ali provided surety and 5,000 Bangladeshi taka as bail bond for their release.
Family members of Sunali and Sweety have said in Indian courts that they are residents of Birbhum and were mistakenly identified as Bangladeshis in Delhi, where they were eking out a living as ragpickers.
Speaking to TOI over the phone, Sunali said, "I want to return home (to India) immediately. I have not been feeling well these days."
She thanked chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee for standing by them.
"Without them, we would have remained in jail here," she said.
She said police in Chapai Nawabganj, where she and others were lodged in a jail, have asked them to appear at the police station at 9.30pm.
"I do not know what is happening or why the police want to speak to me again. I just hope that I return home quickly," Sunali said, before disconnecting the call.
Sk Mofizul, a social worker who has been in Bangladesh for several months to facilitate the group's release, said the bail order had no directive that Sunali and the rest be repatriated to India. Mofizul has arranged a rented house in Nayagola in Chapai Nawabganj for the group. "The court granted Sunali bail considering her advanced stage of pregnancy," he said.
Senior judicial magistrate Ashraful Haque, who issued the bail order, said the group must appear before the court whenever required. The court also directed that Sunali get proper medical treatment. If necessary, she has to be admitted to hospital. The court went through her USG report before granting her bail.
Public prosecutor Md Abdul Wadud said the group was released on humanitarian grounds. "The court allowed their release with certain conditions and two sureties. The Sadar thana has been asked to send a report every 10 days to the court." Sunali's father Bhodu Sheikh said, "We are so happy. We hope we will meet her soon."
West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board chairperson Samirul Islam, who has been fighting for the group's release, said, "Satyameva Jayate. After coming out of jail, Sunali gave credit to our CM and Abhishek Banerjee for standing by her throughout her long battle for justice."
He added, "The Supreme Court has already asked for their return. Now, it is the responsibility of Centre to hold talks with the Bangladeshi govt and bring them back."