Northeast Desk, 3rd March: Nine Bangladeshi citizens, including women and children, alongside a toddler, have been repatriated to Bangladesh after serving their jail term in Tripura for illegal entry.
These individuals endured five months behind bars, followed by one-and-a-half years at the Mahatma Gandhi Home, a temporary detention center in Narshinghar, before being granted the opportunity to return to their homeland.
Their journey to India, driven by the pursuit of job opportunities, resulted in their arrest for illegal entry nearly two years ago. Despite initial legal hurdles, the bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh played a pivotal role in expediting the repatriation process.
The Bangladesh Assistant High Commission intervened, initiating the necessary procedures for repatriation. Despite bureaucratic challenges, which prolonged the process to approximately 18 months, the perseverance of both nations ensured a favorable outcome.
Expressing gratitude, Mohammad Mulla Basha, one of the repatriated Bangladeshi citizens, said, “We are happy because we are returning to our country. Without a passport, we entered India and were caught. After spending time in the detention center, today we are going back home.”
Similarly, Umm Khatua, another repatriated Bangladeshi woman, conveyed her appreciation for the government’s efforts in facilitating their return. “For the last two years, we remained in jail for illegally entering India. Due to the intervention of the Bangladesh High Commission, we are repatriated today,” she said.
Umar Sharif, representing the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner Office in Agartala, emphasized the expeditious nature of the repatriation process, attributing it to the proactive involvement of the Bangladesh government. “The repatriation process has been expedited due to the intervention of the Bangladesh government. Nine Bangladeshis were caught for illegally entering India without a passport, and later, a baby was born in India. They have all been successfully repatriated,” Sharif affirmed.
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