Law or policy reform enabling automatic acquisition of nationality The political stalemate that delayed the elections presented another opportunity for a group of Urdu-speakers to go to court to seek a wider ruling that would benefit the Urdu-speaking community at large, particularly the camp-based population. In the case of Khan v. Election Commissioner (2008)15 (2008 Khan case), a group of 11 Urduspeaking petitioners residing in two camps in Dhaka filed another petition with the High Court. The petitioners presented evidence that the Election Commission had adopted a policy of not enrolling camp-based Urdu-speakers. The court ruled in the petitioners’ favor. It directed the Election Commission to enroll not only the petitioners as Bangladeshi citizens eligible to vote, but also all adult Urdu-speaking people living in camps in Bangladesh. The court also urged the Commission to provide these individuals with national identity cards without delay. The resolution of the statelessness status of the Urdu-speakers of Bangladesh was achieved at a time of political transition in the country. The formation of a caretaker Government in 2007 presented an opportune moment for the authorities to move beyond entrenched prejudice against the Urdu-speaking community. It was in this environment that the 2008 Khan case was pursued in court alongside direct advocacy with the Government by national NGOs and community organizations. Multi-level advocacy to implement the decision in the 2008 Khan case Though strategic litigation in the courts played a catalytic role in resolving the statelessness status of the Urdu-speaking community of Bangladesh, the eventual reform of policy that allowed the Supreme Court’s ruling to be implemented was the result of advocacy by community-based and national actors, as well as the international community. Following the decision in the 2003 Khan case, UNHCR boosted its efforts to encourage policy reform as a means of tackling statelessness among the Urdu-speakers of Bangladesh. By 2005, UNHCR had approached the Government for discussions on how to uphold the nationality rights of the Urdu-speaking communities. UNHCR also worked 15 18 Md. Sadaqat Khan (Fakku) and Others v. Chief Election Commissioner, Bangladesh Election Commission, Writ Petition No. 10129 of 2007, Bangladesh: Supreme Court, 18 May 2008, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4a7c0c352. html U N H C R > G P P A C T I O N 1 : R E S O LV I N G E X I S T I N G M A J O R S I T U AT I O N S O F S TAT E L E S S N E S S