10 Bangladeshi women return home after 3 years in Indian jail
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Ten Bangladeshi women returned home on Friday after serving three years in prison for illegal entry into India.
India’s Petrapole Immigration Police officially handed them over to the Benapole Immigration Police. Officials from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police were present at the time.
The women who returned home are Sabina Begum, 20, Nurbanu, 19, Tumpa Begum, 18, Halima Khatun, 22, Tonwi Akter, 19, Munni Akter, 17, Jannati Khatun, 18, Samia Akter, 18, Shirina Khatun, 19, and Sumi Khatun, 23. Their homes are located in various areas of Narail, Jashore, and Faridpur districts.
The non-governmental organization Justice & Care took them to their shelter home in Jashore. From there, arrangements will be made to return them to their families.
Benapole Immigration Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saifur Rahman said about four years ago, those women illegally entered India through the Satkhira border via brokers. Later, they went to Pune city in Maharashtra and began working as domestic workers in households.
Police there detained them on charges of illegal stay in India and sent them to prison. Later, a court in that country sentenced each of them to three years of imprisonment for illegal entry. They were sent to a central jail in Pune.
Upon the completion of their prison terms, initiatives were taken to return them home following legal procedures and diplomatic efforts between the two countries.
