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Journalism of Courage
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked a Bangladeshi student of Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal’s Santiniketan to leave the country for reportedly engaging in “anti-government activities”.
Having received the ‘Leave India Notice’ — dated February 14 — on Wednesday, Afsara Anika Meem on Thursday met Foreign Regional Registration Registration Office (FRRO) officer Karma Tshering Bhutia to request him to review the decision.
The meeting reportedly lasted an hour, but Meem refused to speak on what transpired.
The FRRO comes under the MHA. The notice asks Meem to leave the country within 15 days.
The notice states, “Afsara Anika Meem… Bangladeshi national, is present in India on the strength of S-1 (Student) visa…studying at Viswa Bharati University… she is found to have engaged in anti-government activities. And such activity being a breach of her visa, has thus committed visa violation…”
The notice does not specify the anti-government acts concerned.
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In December last year and January this year, students and a section of Visva-Bharati teachers had taken out several rallies on the campus against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Meem allegedly joined the protests and also posted images on social media.
Visva-Bharati declined to comment on the issue.
Sources in Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said they are neither aware of the notice nor did Meem meet them on Thursday after the meeting at the FRRO office.
