Nine-months-pregnant Sonali Khatun, who walked out of Bangladesh's Chapainawabganj jail on Monday, is eagerly waiting to return to India along with her eight-year-old child.
Her husband, Danish, would still remain in Bangladesh, as the Centre has contested their citizenship and has only agreed to bring her back on humanitarian grounds till the case is pending in the Supreme Court.
26-year-old Sonali Khatun, along with her son and husband, was picked up from Delhi and deported to Bangladesh, where she ended up behind bars over what came to be seen as "illegal entry" by Bangladeshi authorities.
After nearly 100 days in custody, Sonali, along with six others, was granted bail on December 1 by a local court.
Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam, who has been actively fighting a legal battle to get Sonali and her family back, said that he is yet to receive more information on what the Centre is doing to bring her back.
He further added that those officers who picked them up from Delhi for speaking Bengali and subsequently forced them out to Bangladesh should be held accountable.
"She is an Indian. Just because someone is speaking Bangla, you cannot force them out to Bangladesh. Her parents' names are in the SIR list; her grandfather's property registration goes back to 1952. Even the high court has passed an order in her favour. Now it is the Supreme Court that has intervened. The Centre must now act swiftly, as she is nine months pregnant and can go into labour anytime," he told NDTV.
Islam also said that not only Sonali, but also her husband and another family - Sweety Bibi, her husband and their two children - who were pushed across the border on June 27 after being picked up by the Delhi police on June 18 -- are Indian citizens.
"We have documented proof, which was upheld by Calcutta High Court. Yet they are not acting on it," he said.
He said that till Wednesday, he was in touch with Sonali through a social worker, Mofizul Islam, who was sent there on a visa to assist them.
Mofizul Islam, who is also a family friend of Sonali, had been staying in Chapainawabganj since their arrest.
The Trinamool MP said that since Mofizul's visa is expiring Thursday, he will probably return to India.
"We are hoping for a swift action from the Centre but have not received any update from them yet," he said.
Bhodu Sheikh, who is the father of Sonali, had filed the petition with the assistance of the Trinamool MP.
Sheikh presented his case in the Supreme Court after the Centre challenged the Calcutta High Court order which termed the deportation "illegal" and affirmed Sonali's citizenship along with six others who are still locked in Bangladesh's prison.
On Monday, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for West Bengal, requested that the Centre take instructions on repatriating all six other persons who were deported.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, opposed the suggestion and said that they are 'Bangladeshis' and the Centre wants to contest the Calcutta High Court order setting aside their deportation.
On September 26, the Calcutta High Court set aside the action of deportation and termed it "illegal", based on the petitions of Bhodu Sheikh and Sweety's brother, Amir Khan, who affirmed their Indian citizenship. It directed that the seven persons be returned within a month.
Fearing contempt of court, the Centre also requested the Supreme Court to issue notice on their plea challenging the high court order and stay any contempt proceedings in the high court.
On Monday, the top court, while hearing the Centre's appeal against the high court order, asked Mehta to first consider letting Sonali and her son return.
On Wednesday, after the Supreme Court's insistence that the state "must bend sometime" and on humanitarian grounds, the Centre gave an undertaking that they will initiate her return.
A local court in the Chapainawabganj district of Bangladesh on Monday granted bail to Sonali, her son, her husband, 32-year-old Sweety Bibi, and her two sons (aged 6 and 16) on humanitarian grounds.
The bail order by the Bangladesh court accessed by NDTV noted that they are Indian citizens who were forcibly pushed into Bangladesh through the Birbhum border.
The local court, while granting bail, also noted that several Indian human rights organisations have already initiated legal proceedings concerning the present accused persons.
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