Deportation of 17 Bangladeshis from Assam stopped

Seventeen Bangladesh nationals awaiting deportation from the Silchar Central Jail in India's Assam state could not be sent back on Monday.

Assam police had brought all the Bangladeshis to the Karimganj border at 5am on Monday.

But Karimganj district police Superintendent PR Kar said that they had not received approval from the Indian ministry of external affairs (MEA) because of which the Bangladeshis had to be sent back to jail.

Bangladesh officials were ready to take back the seventeen , he said.

According to the Karimganj SP, all formalities between officials of the border districts of Assam and Bangladesh were completed, and only the MEA's approval was now awaited.

If the approval is received on time, these foreign nationals could be deported by Thursday, Kar said.

The Karimganj SP said that all the Bangladeshi nationals were sent back to the detention camp in Silchar Central Jail.

These Bangladeshis had entered India illegally. On OCt 13 last year, 10 other Bangladeshis were deported.

Cachar district Superintendent of police Rakesh Roushan said that all these Bangladeshis were arrested by Karimganj Police.

But because of the absence of a detention camp in Karimganj, they were sent to the detention camp in Silchar Central Jail.

All of them were handed over to the Karimganj police this morning.

A Karimganj police office informed that the 17 were all set to be deported after several rounds of talks between officials of border districts of Assam and Bangladesh.

A source in Assam government informed that the Bangladesh government has agreed to take back their nationals keeping in view the present good relations between the Bangladesh and the Indian governments.

However, Bangladeshi officials first verified the address proof as well as different documents belonging to the detainees before agreeing to the move.

The Bangladeshi nationals to be deported include Abdul Karim, Rafik Uddin, Riyaj Uddin, Abdul Rahim, Abdul Jabbar of Moulvibazar, Babul Mulla, Lalchand Miya of Chandpur, Rahul Das, Tofur Miya of Habiganj, Kabi Osman of Noakhali, Anisur Rahman of Comilla, Samsuddin of Sylhet, Nazir Uddin, Bhagabati Goala of Bramhanbarhia, Mou Das of Sunamganj, Sajon Ali and Sohag Hosen Kazi of Mymensingh.

Among them, Bhagabati Goala from Madhabpur district, Rahul Das from Habiganj district and Mou Das from Sunamganj district said that they left Bangladesh few months ago to escape the religious persecution there. However, the police have not confirmed this yet.