The High Court of Bangladesh has instructed the Election Commission and various government bodies to conduct an inquiry into the enrollment of Rohingyas as voters and the issuance of citizenship documents. The investigation report is to be submitted by August 8.

The order came from a bench comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque in response to a supplementary petition by Mohammad Hamid, a resident of Cox’s Bazar, who challenged the legality of these enrollments. Authorities, including the EC, the Local Government Division, and the Registrar General for Birth and Death Registration, have been directed to participate in the probe.

Hamid’s initial petition on April 24 questioned the legitimacy of enrolling Rohingyas in the voter list and issuing birth certificates based on fake addresses and documents in Cox's Bazar's Edgaon union. The latest petition builds on media reports suggesting that Rohingyas have been obtaining birth certificates through fraudulent means across the country.

A recent Special Branch of Police report identified 49 Rohingya individuals who illegally obtained Bangladeshi passports using birth certificates from Dhaka North City Corporation.

Previously, the same High Court bench had instructed an investigation into how many Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar had been granted citizenship and voter registration. The authorities were asked to report their findings by June 6 and to remove 370 Rohingyas from the voter list in Eidgaon union. Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta, representing the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner, requested more time for a comprehensive report and the removal of these names.

Appearing for the petitioner, lawyer Siddique Ullah Mia highlighted a local upazila nirbahi officer's report, which revealed that Rohingyas had fraudulently obtained birth certificates and national identity cards with the connivance of local officials since 2016.

The Office of the Registrar General for Birth and Death Registration, responding to a Special Branch request, has suspended birth certificates obtained by Rohingyas. They have summoned DNCC officials for explanations. According to the Special Branch, a list of 102 Rohingyas who acquired Bangladeshi passports using false documents was provided in a letter dated May 26.

Registrar General Md Zahid Hossain noted that these birth certificates, issued primarily in 2022 and early 2023, are under investigation. Illegally issued certificates were also found in Rangpur, Barishal Sadar, and Bagerhat Sadar areas.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman stated that Rohingya children born in camps are registered as such and should not receive birth certificates from Bangladeshi authorities. Media reports suggest that thousands of Rohingyas have used forged Bangladeshi passports to travel abroad for employment.

In related developments, Saudi Arabian authorities have requested the expedited renewal of 69,000 Bangladeshi passports issued to Rohingyas. A Saudi delegation raised the issue during a bilateral meeting in Dhaka, with Bangladesh seeking an additional six months for the necessary steps. The matter was previously discussed during a 2022 visit by the Saudi deputy interior minister, with threats of deportation if the passports were not renewed.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan acknowledged that many Rohingyas have traveled to Saudi Arabia since the 1970s using Bangladeshi passports and that these documents require renewal.

BOB Post