Introduction

This chapter introduces the topic of the book which deals with the citizenship status of Biharis in Bangladesh and their ability to access rights associated with citizenship. Taking a law and society approach and based on the interviews, I argue that while most Biharis in Bangladesh have been recognized as being legally entitled to citizenship in Bangladesh, they do not have access to a few important rights associated with citizenship rights that make citizenship meaningful. I also argue that Biharis’ access to citizenship rights is inconsistent with citizenship theory (i.e., the right to have rights), citizenship laws in Bangladesh, and the Constitution of Bangladesh, including fundamental principles and fundamental rights. The law and society approach that I used recognizes both legal and non-legal factors and suggests that law can be understood by analyzing it within social contexts. This chapter explains the methods and ethical issues of data collection and the challenges during fieldwork and interviews. Inadequate empirical studies about the ethnic Biharis in Bangladesh make this study important, and my research aims to fill the gaps in the existing literature on Biharis.