35. In addition, the Government of Bangladesh is increasingly requiring documentation as a
pre-condition for access to services, including education. It is now compulsory to possess
a birth certificate to enroll in school. These requirements are applied to everyone in the
country, but disproportionately impact communities such as Urdu-speakers who have
been marginalized and seen as non-Bangladeshi (or stateless) for several decades. In
2017, the government raised the fee for a birth certificate application from 10 Taka per
year based on the age of the child to a rate of 600 Taka (US $7.60), with the exception
for those who apply for a birth certificate within 45 days of the birth of the child, in which
case there is no charge (though the window is very short considering it is most often the
mother who takes care of the birth certificate). The 600 Taka fee is out of reach of most
Urdu-speaking camp residents and has led to a decrease in the rate of applications for
birth certificates over the past few months. Without changes in these policies, ensuring
that all Bangladeshis can easily access basic legal identity documentation, access to
other services such as education will become more challenging in the future.
Minorities and Indigenous Peoples
Language and Culture
36. Urdu language and culture is forgotten in Bangladesh. There is no access to learn Urdu
language. Children are bound to get education with Bangla language though their mother
tongue is Urdu. Most Urdu poets are practicing their craft in Urdu language and trying to
promote their unique culture but no access to publish their literature exists in Bangladesh.
Constitutional Provisions
37. On June 30, 2011 Bangladesh Parliament passed the 15th amendment of the national
constitution. The amendments made some dramatic changes in the constitution. The
eighth amendment to the Constitution, adopted under the military ruler, General Hossain
Mohammad Ershad, in 1988, purported to make Islam as the state religion (Article 2A).
This has been retained by the 15th Amendment.
38. This provision resulted in the Constitution moving away from one of its founding pillars of
‘secularism’ and becoming manifestly more discriminatory and communal in nature. It is
a direct rejection of the full citizenship rights of the hundreds of thousands of people from
diverse religions and beliefs who are Bangladeshis.
39. Also included in Article 6(2) is the provision “The people of Bangladesh shall be known
as Bangalees.” This language undermines the ethnic identity of distinct groups of people
like Bihari, Chakma, Garo, Khasia, Khumi, Marma, Murong, Mandi, Santal, Tanchangya,
Tippera, Hajong, Rakhain, Dalit and many, many more.
40. All human beings belong to a single species and share a common origin. They are born
equal in dignity and rights and all form an integral part of humanity. All peoples of the
world possess equal faculties for attaining the highest level in intellectual, technical,
social, economic, cultural and political development. The differences between the
achievements of the different people are entirely attributable to geographical, historical,
political, economic, social and cultural factors. Such differences can in no case serve as
a pretext for any rank ordered classification of nations or peoples.
Risk of Statelessness
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