Dhaka, Sept. 22 -- A single room with damp and cracked walls for a family of six to ten; inadequate water supply; unhygienic sanitation and cramped passageways -- this scenario is replicated in every other 'camp' across Mirpur, where almost 80,000 stranded Urdu-speaking people, otherwise known as 'Biharis' live. Even their these limited facilities may be taken away as they now face the threat of eviction.

After the Liberation War, the Bihari community was confined to different colonies across the countries, most of which took shelter in the 'Geneva camp'(so-called since their legal status is accorded by the Geneva Convention) in the capital's Mohammadpur area.

According to various estimates, there are 300,00 to 450,000 Biharis living in...