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21 Trafficked Bangladeshi Teens Return Home via Benapole
A group of 21 Bangladeshi teenagers, who were trafficked to India two years ago, has successfully returned home through the Benapole checkpost, thanks to special travel permits. The teenagers, consisting of 10 boys and 11 girls, were handed over by Indian immigration authorities to their Bangladeshi counterparts at around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to Imtiaz Bhuiyan, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Benapole Immigration Police, the returnees underwent immigration formalities before being transferred to the Benapole Port Police Station. Two local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Rights Jashore and Justice and Care, have taken on the responsibility of assisting with their rehabilitation and family reunification.
Rights Jashore has taken responsibility for 10 of the teenagers, while Justice and Care is helping the remaining 11.
The repatriated teenagers include boys such as Indrajit Mondal, Pranto Mondal, Mihir Jowardar, Khairul Islam, Soikat Alam, and Miraj Hossain Rimon, among others. The girls in the group include Sahida Khatun, Suborna Roy, Snigdha Biswas, Shila Akter, and others. They hail from various districts across Bangladesh, including Dhaka, Keraniganj, Faridpur, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jashore, Narail, Satkhira, Kishoreganj, and Cox’s Bazar.
Muhit Hossain, Senior Programme Officer at Justice and Care, shared that these teenagers were trafficked by criminals who lured them with promises of well-paying jobs in India. They were smuggled across the border through various routes and later detained by Indian authorities while working, where they spent time in jail. After their release, the Indian human rights organization Rescue Foundation took them in and provided shelter.
With the assistance of the Indian government, the teenagers were granted special travel permits to facilitate their return to Bangladesh. The NGOs will now work to reunite them with their families, with the process set to begin on Thursday.
This successful repatriation highlights ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and provide victims with the support they need to rebuild their lives.