A group of 78 individuals, reportedly abandoned by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in the Bangladeshi part of the Sundarbans, have been rescued.
Many were in poor health, with some showing signs of physical abuse — one person had a broken hand. Most of them were extremely weak after going without food for several days.
According to the victims, they finally received food after 15 days at a local police station, reports Prothom Alo.
Of the 78, 75 are Bangladeshi nationals, while three are Indian citizens, police confirmed. The BSF allegedly left them on Mandarbaria Island in the western Sundarbans, within Shyamnagar Upazila, last Friday.
They were rescued by the Forest Department and handed over to the Coast Guard around 11pm on Saturday. Later, at 11:30pm on Sunday, they were transferred to Shyamnagar Police Station.
Mashiur Rahman, assistant forest conservator of the Satkhira Range, said the authorities were informed of the poor condition of the rescued individuals, many of whom had been without food or water for days.
In coordination with local authorities, the Forest Department provided them with food, saline, and water, and ensured their safe transportation to the designated shelter, he added.
All 78 individuals are currently being kept on the second floor of Shyamnagar Police Station. Among them, 63 are from Narail district, while the remaining eight are from Satkhira, Jashore, Barishal, and Dhaka. The three Indian nationals are from Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat.
Prothom Alo quoted Officer-in-Charge of Shyamnagar Police Station Humayun Kabir as saying that a case has been filed against the Indian nationals.
The families of the remaining 75 Bangladeshi individuals have been informed, and they will be handed over to their relatives upon arrival.