Persecution of Biharis in Bangladesh

Common card · No. 462845

The Bihari minority in Bangladesh have experienced widespread discrimination. Within Bangladesh, the term Bihari implies the Urdu-speaking migrants from the Indian state of Bihar who settled in East Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. Later on, all Urdu-speaking people, including Punjabis, Pathans, Sindhis and Baloch from West Pakistan, who were posted to East Pakistan or settled there were labeled as Biharis by Bengalis. Biharis opposed the Bengali language movement of the people of then East Pakistan in the 1950s which stoked anti-Bihari sentiment. During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, they largely maintained a pro-Pakistani stance, supported the Pakistan Armed Forces and opposed the independence of Bangladesh. Many Biharis became collaborators or accomplices of pro-government paramilitary groups in Pakistan Army's Bengali genocide which led to mass reprisal killings of Biharis. Many migrated to Pakistan prior to, during and in the aftermath of the war. Those that remained...

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