Fifty Bangladeshi nationals, including 44 men and six women, returned home through Benapole land port after serving jail terms in India for illegally entering the neighboring country.
The returnees were repatriated on Sunday night under a special travel permit issued by the Indian government. Petrapole Immigration Police handed them over to Border Security Force (BSF), which transferred them to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Following immigration formalities at Benapole, they were handed over to Benapole Immigration Police.
Officials from the police, border security forces of both countries, and representatives of human rights organizations were present during the repatriation process.
The returnees are residents of Jessore, Brahmanbaria, Dhaka, Madaripur, Tangail, Satkhira, Narail, Jhenaidah and Chandpur.
One of the returnees, Firoz Mahmud, said they entered India's Tamil Nadu through unauthorized border routes with the help of human traffickers after being promised better job opportunities.
An Indian human rights organization arranged their release from prison and provided temporary shelter. With the support of Bangladesh and Indian embassies, they were eventually repatriated under special travel permits.
Benapole Checkpost Immigration Officer-in-Charge Saifur Rahman said the people were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station after immigration clearance. Rights Jessore and Justice and Care each received 25 returnees and will provide temporary shelter before reuniting them with their families.
