Three Indian nationals were repatriated to India through the Hili International Immigration Check Post on the Bangladesh border in South Dinajpur this morning.
Top officials of both countries were present at the check post to receive the Indian nationals. Balurghat Member of Parliament Sukanta Majumdar was also present as it was he who had taken the initiative to have one Manik Debnath freed from a jail in Bangladesh. The Indians were languishing in different jails in Bangladesh even after their punishment period ended, it is learnt.
Manik Debnath, 30, Md Tajubuddin, 40 and Master Akel, 17, were in jail custody at Dinajpur, Panchagar, and Kishor Unnayan Kendra Jashar. All of them had been arrested by the Bangladesh Border Guard for crossing the border without valid documents.
“The family members of Manik Debnath had requested the Member of Parliament to take initiatives to get him back from the Bangladesh jail,” a local source said.
It is learnt that the MP took the initiative through the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh after he contacted the Indian Ministry of External Affairs a few months ago.
“Many more Indian citizens are languishing in Bangladesh jails even after the end of their punishment period as there are several legal complications,” an official said.
Manik, 32, the son of carpenter Binod Debnath, is said to be mentally not well. The family claims that he had entered Bangladesh through North Ghasuria on March 6, 2019 “by mistake.” Manik was arrested by the BGB and kept in a jail in the Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
“A year ago, Manik’s father Binod Debnath met the BJP MP in Balurghat and requested him to take initiatives. After that, MP Sukant Majumder contacted the Ministry of External Affairs and the process of repatriation started,” the local source said.
“We could not have got back my son from Bangladesh had not Mr Sukanta Majumdar intervened. We had requested him repeatedly and finally my son has returned home,” Binod Debnath said.
According to MP, Mr Majumder, Manik had entered Bangladesh because he is not mentally sound. “He was sentenced after being arrested there. Although the punishment period was over, he could not be brought back due to various legal complications. As soon as I came to know about the matter, I contacted our foreign ministry and took initiatives to bring him back,” Mr Majumder said.