India's BSF hands over eight Bangladeshis to BGB via Satkhira border

Eight Bangladeshi nationals were handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) by India's Border Security Force (BSF) through the Hakimpur border in West Bengal yesterday evening.

According to BGB sources, the repatriation took place around 6:30pm through a flag meeting at the zero line near the Taluigachha border in Satkhira Sadar upazila. Later, at around 10:30pm, BGB transferred the returnees to Satkhira Sadar Police Station for legal formalities.

The returnees were identified as Md Harun, 30, of Koyra upazila, Khulna; Jeba Sabiha Binte Karim, 22, of Fulbaria upazila, Mymensingh; Anadi Ranjan Paramanik, 42, and Nipa Rani Mondol, 28, of Assasuni upazila, Satkhira; Jannat Begum Jinta Begum, 29, of Kishoreganj; Nipa Khatun, 39, of Narayanganj; Md Ikramul Biswas, 26, and his wife Rahima Khatun, 24, of Abhaynagar upazila, Jashore.

Satkhira Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shamimul Haque said the eight were detained by BSF around 10am on Wednesday at the Hakimpur check-post in Basirhat subdivision of North 24 Parganas. They were handed over by BSF's Amudia Company Commander, Inspector Bikash Kumar, to BGB's Taluigachha BOP Commander, Naib Subedar Md Abul Kashem.

Police said the repatriated individuals will be released to their families following verification.

Among them, Ikramul Biswas and his wife Rahima said they had traveled to India for medical treatment one and a half years ago, but were detained while returning without valid documents.

Md Harun said he and others had entered India seeking work without passports. "As the situation worsened recently, we decided to return home. But BSF caught us while we were trying to enter Bangladesh," he added.