KOLKATA: Sunali Khatun, a 26-year-old Bengali woman who entered Bangladesh as an “illegal immigrant” last year, has had her parents’ names appear on the electoral list, strengthening her claim to citizenship even as a legal battle continues over her husband and other relatives who were sent to the neighboring country.Sunali’s mother, Jyotsna Bibi, was one of hundreds of thousands “on trial” but was later added to the list. Her father Bhodu Sheikh has been cleared from the SIR draft list in December 2025.When Sunali found her parents’ names on the list, she burst into tears. Their names appear in the electoral roll of 2002 – the reference date for the SIR. Sunali is not yet a voter herself, but has applied to join.“I am angry that we are labeled as Bangladeshis. We are Indian citizens. Yet, we have to suffer. I cannot buy new clothes for my children on Eid. My husband is in Bangladesh; my children cry for him every day. My father is unwell and cannot work,” she said.
