Fieldwork and Findings

This chapter presents and discusses the findings of my fieldwork in Bangladesh. The central question of this chapter is to investigate whether the Biharis have access to important rights associated with citizenship rights that make citizenship meaningful. I interviewed 75 Biharis and twenty-five Bengalis. The interviews were conducted in the Bengali language and on a one-on-one basis. I present and discuss my research findings in two main sections. Section “Introduction” deals with the socio-economic background of the Bihari respondents, their nationality, political involvement during the pre-liberation period, the role of the Biharis in the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Biharis’ views regarding repatriation to Pakistan, camp life, impediments to integration and remedies, as well as their views regarding their status in Bangladesh. Section “The Social and Economic Conditions of the Bihari Respondents” deals with the composition of the Bengali respondents and their attitudes toward the Biharis. It will look at the Bengalis’ views regarding the repatriation of the Biharis, perspectives of the Bengalis regarding the challenges of Bihari integration, and finally Bengalis’ perceptions on how to ensure human rights and citizenship rights of the Biharis.