36 trafficked Bangladeshis return after serving jail terms in India

Thirty-six Bangladeshi teenagers, including two children, returned home through the Benapole International Checkpost today (27 May) after serving different jail terms in India.

They had been trafficked across the border with the promise of good jobs.

The group was handed over to Bangladeshi authorities at Benapole Immigration by India's Petrapole Immigration Police.

The returnees hail from 18 districts across the country, including Jashore, Rajshahi, Khulna, Noakhali, Kurigram, Natore, Satkhira, Narail, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Netrokona, Rangpur, Madaripur, Narsingdi, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Lakshmipur, and Chattogram.

They had illegally entered India through various border points with the help of traffickers and were later arrested by Indian police on charges of illegal entry. 

To facilitate their safe return and reintegration, NGOs including Rights Jessore, Justice and Care, Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association, and the Justice and Child Protection Foundation took custody of the returnees upon their arrival.

Abdul Muhit, senior programme officer at Justice and Care's Jashore office, said the victims were trafficked to different areas in Kolkata, where they worked in households and other informal jobs before being detained by police.

"They were charged with illegal entry and sent to jail. Later, with the support of several Indian human rights organisations, they were released from court and placed in protective custody," he said.

Muhit added that after completing their sentences, they were repatriated under special travel permits arranged through cooperation between the governments of Bangladesh and India.

He also noted that any returnee willing to identify their traffickers and pursue legal action would be provided with legal assistance.

Benapole Immigration Police Sub-Inspector Shahadat Hossain said, "We received 36 Bangladeshi teenagers, including children, who had returned from India. After completing immigration procedures, they were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station."

NGO representatives later took custody of the returnees and will arrange for their reunification with families, he added.