Bangladeshi girl to return home after 8 years in India

After spending eight years in a home in India, a Bangladeshi girl is set to return home to her family.

In 2017, the girl along with her parents were detained near Kolkata airport for illegal entry. The girl was spared from charges as she was a minor (8 years old) at the time and was sent to a home, reports Times of India.

Her parents were charged under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, under which they spent time in prison. They were sent back to Bangladesh after their prison term ended but the girl remained in India, separated from her parents.

It was only recently that the District Legal Services Authority, South 24 Parganas, tracked her case and brought it to the notice of state govt's Directorate on Child Rights and Trafficking. This paved the way for her to go home.

Officials who worked out the legalities for her return said the teenager would be reunited with her family in Bandarban district in Chattogram within a couple of days. She was scheduled to be handed over to Bangladeshi authorities at Petrapole-Benapole Border yesterday (30 January), but whether she was handed over could not be verified independently.

As news of her release reached the teenager, she expressed mixed feelings. She was very excited but had doubts that this will really happen. The eighth grade student plans to continue her studies once she returns to Bangladesh.

State officials are hopeful that the girl will have a smooth journey back home.