Forty-seven Bangladeshi nationals, including four women, returned home through the Benapole checkpost on Thursday night after serving two years in an Indian prison.
Members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed them over to Benapole Immigration Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) authorities around 8pm
The returnees, comprising 43 men and four women, are from different areas of Narail, Gopalganj and Satkhira districts.
Benapole Immigration Police Officer-in-Charge Saifur Rahman said the individuals had illegally entered Tamil Nadu around two and a half years ago through human traffickers in search of better employment opportunities. They were later arrested by local police while working in different households.
After completing their two-year court-imposed prison sentences, they were kept at private shelter homes in Attur, Salem and the Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) camp in Tamil Nadu.
They returned home on Thursday evening with special travel permits issued by the Indian government following diplomatic communication between the foreign ministries of Bangladesh and India.
After completing immigration procedures, police transferred the returnees to Benapole Port Police Station. Three non-governmental organisations — Bangladesh Women Lawyers Association, Rights Jashore and Justice & Care — received them from the police station and helped reunite them with their respective families.
