36 Bangladeshis return home from India after two years in jail
Thirty-six Bangladeshi teenagers returned home from India today after serving two-year prison terms for illegal entry.
Indian Petrapole Immigration Police handed them over to Bangladeshi authorities at the Benapole check-post this afternoon, said Ibrahim Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Benapole Immigration Police.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The OC said the returnees were brought back under a special travel permit.
After completing immigration formalities, they were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station, he said.
The returnees include 21 boys and 15 girls, aged between 10 and 13, hailing from different districts across the country—including Dhaka, Khulna, Bagerhat, Narail, Rajshahi, Noakhali, Munshiganj, Gopalganj, Kurigram, Natore, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Rangpur, Madaripur, Narsingdi, Thakurgaon, Jhalakathi, Panchagarh, and Cox's Bazar.
OC Ibrahim said the teenagers had illegally crossed into India through brokers around two and a half years ago in search of better job opportunities.
They were later arrested while working in households in Haryana and were sentenced to up to two years in prison for unlawful entry.
Upon completion of their sentences, an Indian NGO provided them shelter and coordinated with both countries' embassies to facilitate their return, he said.
Three NGOs—Justice and Care, Rights Jessore, and Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association—received the returnees from Benapole police custody and will facilitate their reunification with families, added the police official.
Jawadul Karim, a counsellor of Rights Jessore, said the returnees will be handed over to their families tomorrow.
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