78 people, left in Sundarbans by BSF, claim they were brought from Gujarat blindfolded

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has rescued 78 individuals from the Mandarbaria area of the Sundarbans in Satkhira, who claimed they were blindfolded and brought from Gujarat, India, by plane and launch before being left by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF).

Among them, three individuals have been identified by the Coast Guard as Indian citizens. A case has been filed against these three for illegal entry.

The Coast Guard claimed they are Indian citizens, though police said the three men, though born in Surat, Gujarat, have no Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar cards and originally hail from Narail in Bangladesh. The Coast Guard has declined further comments on the matter.

The remaining 75 are believed to be Bangladeshi citizens, mostly from Narail, Barisal, and Khulna districts. Many were found in poor health, with visible injuries.

One individual had a broken arm, and others bore signs of physical abuse, according to Officer-in-Charge of Shyamnagar Police Station Humayun Kabir Molla.

Humayun Kabir, "The families of the Bangladeshi nationals have been informed. They will be handed over to their relatives when they arrive."

They were rescued by the forest department and handed over to the Coast Guard on Saturday night (10 May).

The Coast Guard then transferred them to the Shyamnagar Police Station in Satkhira around 11:30pm on Sunday.

Assistant Forest Conservator of the West Sundarbans Satkhira Range, Moshiur Rahman, who was present during the rescue, said all 78 individuals were physically unwell.

"They had gone without food for several days. One man's arm was broken, and many had marks on their bodies indicating physical assault," he said.

Among the rescued is Harun Sheikh, 60, of Madhabpasha village in Kalia upazila, Narail. He said he had lived in the Surat slum in Ahmedabad for 37 years, working in the scrap business and occasionally visiting Bangladesh.

On 26 April, he said, Indian police raided their slum, detaining 500–600 residents and demolishing their homes. The detainees were taken to a camp where men, women, and children were separated and grouped. One group of 78, including Harun, was blindfolded and subjected to physical abuse.

"They gave us only one roti and some water during lunch, and sometimes two biscuits. On 6 May, we were flown blindfolded from Ahmedabad to Kolkata. From there, we were taken to Sandehkhali near the Bangladesh border. On the night of 9 May, we were dropped off in the Sundarbans by launch," he said.

Other rescued individuals, including Hasan Sheikh of Bishnupur village in Narail, Shihat Hossain of Chanderchar village in Lohagara, and Shakhayet Molla of Mokampur in Khulna, shared similar experiences. They had been living in the Surat slum for several years in search of work.

They expressed concern for their families, who were separated from them during the crackdown. "We do not know where the police took our wives, children, and parents. We just want to find our families again," one of them said.

All 78 individuals are now being housed on the second floor of Shyamnagar Police Station, where food and medical treatment are being provided. An investigation is underway.