Staff Correspondent

Indian police handed over 42 Bangladeshis, including women and children, to Bangladesh through the Benapole check post after 3 years of imprisonment in India on Friday evening.

The Petrapole Immigration Police of India handed them over to the Benapole Immigration Police officially this evening.

Benapole Immigration OC Mohammad Kamruzzaman said the Bangladeshi women and children went to West Bengal in India in search of good work three and a half years ago. They were arrested by the Kolkata police while working in various houses, shops, and restaurants.

Later, the police produced them before the Kolkata court and the court sentenced them to 3 years and sent them to the Kolkata Central Jail. After serving jail sentence, they were in the custody of eight shelter homes in West Bengal, including Kisholaya, Navajatra, and Dhruvashram.

Among the returnees are 30 women and 12 children.

Finally, they were sent back to Bangladesh on Friday evening with the intervention of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the two countries.

After all immigration formalities, they were handed over to the Benapole Port Police Station.

A NGO named Rights Jashore has taken 32 persons, and the Women Lawyers' Association has taken 10 persons into their custody for handover to their families.

Sharsha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Narayan Chandra Pal, Check Post BGB ICP Camp Commander Mahbubur Rahman, and Petrapol BSF Commander were present at the handover ceremony.

Officer-in-charge of Benapole Port Police Station Kamal Hossain Bhuia said the returnees were trafficked by brokers to the Indian state of West Bengal three and a half years ago.

"Police handed them over to the court after arresting them, and the Indian court sentenced them to 3 years. Today, they were brought back to Bangladesh through special travel permits,” the OC added.