19 Bangladeshis return home after serving different terms in India prison

As many as 19 Bangladeshis, including five women and two children, have returned home after serving different terms in prison in India.

Petrapole Immigration Police of India handed the Bangladeshis to Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police on Friday afternoon, according to bdnews24.com.

They were taken to Benapole Police Station before being sent home with the help of rights groups, said Kamruzzaman Biswas, chief of Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police. 

The Justice and Care was given custody of seven of the Bangladeshis, Rights Jashore six while Bangladesh Jatiyo Mohila Ainjibi Samity took the responsibility to take the six others to their families.

They are from Jamalpur, Natore, Satkhira, Patuakhali, Cumilla, Panchagarh, Chandpur, Bagerhat, Khulna, Lalmonirhat and Narail districts.

Muhit Hossain, senior programme officer at Justice and Care, said human traffickers lured the Bangladeshis into India with hopes for good jobs, but they were forced to work as domestic workers.

Police detained them from the homes of their employers and the court sentenced them to different terms in prison. They took refuge at shelter homes of human rights groups after the end of their prison terms.

The authorities of both countries then issued special travel permits for the Bangladeshis to return home, said Muhit.