Thirty-six Bangladeshi youths returned home on Thursday evening after serving 17 months in an Indian jail. They were handed over by Indian authorities through the Petrapole checkpoint under the repatriation law. The returnees are from various districts including Bogura, Khulna, Natore, Chattogram, Dhaka, and Cumilla. They were received by Bangladeshi police and the human rights organization Justice and Care for further legal assistance.

According to the returnees, they were taken to India by traffickers with false promises of garment jobs and were later arrested for illegal entry. Following court proceedings, they were imprisoned in Chennai Central Jail before being repatriated through legal channels. Some of them alleged that money had been taken from them at different times with false assurances of early release.

Justice and Care’s field officer Shariful Islam said the youths were victims of fraud and have now returned home on their own responsibility. Police at Benapole Port Station confirmed that necessary legal support was provided to all 36 returnees.