Family repatriated to India after a year of imprisonment in Bangladesh

A couple and their son, hailing from Habra in North 24-Parganas, were repatriated to India on Monday, a year after they were jailed for trespassing into Bangladesh.

Suman De, 32, Sujata De, 30, and their son Subhajit, 9, were handed over to the Indian authorities by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police officials at Main Pillar No 76 of the border near Gede in Nadia district on Monday afternoon in the presence of representatives of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

"Repatriation of the couple and their minor son have been made possible because of a coordinated initiative of two countries," a Border Security Force (BSF) official told The Telegraph.

Police and BSF sources said in February last year, the couple with the help of a tout had sneaked into Bangladesh territory to visit their ailing relative in Jashore. Around a month later, on 21 March, the couple was arrested by a patrolling BGB team while trying to return to India in a similar way through a porous border with support of tout.

The couple was eventually handed over to Maheshpur police authorities.

A BSF official said, "They were later produced before a court in Jhenaidah which ordered three month's imprisonment for infiltration. The period of their punishment was completed on 16 November last year. But due to certain legal complications to get their release ensured, the couple had to wait for homecoming. During this period they were kept in Jhenaidah jail. Their release order was issued on Sunday that eventually paved way for homecoming."

Speaking to media persons Suman said, "It was a big mistake on my part to enter Bangladesh illegally without any passport...My maternal uncle was ill. So I tried to reach him fast...while returning home in Habra, we were caught."