175 stranded Bangladeshis return from Andaman
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
A total of 175 stranded Bangladeshis, who had been languishing in the Andaman jails since their rescue from a state of near death in the sea eight months ago, returned home Monday through Benapole frontier, officials and witnesses said in the city, reports BSS.
A foreign office statement said the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata supervised the repatriation process while two Bangladeshi diplomats accompanied their stranded compatriots from Andaman-Nicobor to Benapole frontier.
Officials and witnesses said Andaman police and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel handed them over to Bangladesh officials in presence of International Red Crescent Society (BRCS) officials. "Additional District Magistrate and Police Superintendent of Jessore received them at the frontier," an official said.
A foreign ministry spokesman said most of the stranded people hailed from Cox's Bazar and Chittagong districts and they would immediately be sent to their village homes with BRCS assistance.
Indian coastguards rescued at least 300 people from near-death from a sinking engine-less boat in December 2008, as they were forced aboard and set adrift with scanty food and drink allegedly by Thai navy after they made an abortive attempt to go to Malaysia in search of jobs.
The reports quoting Indian officials at that time said those people were from Bangladesh and Myanmar while in March this year the government brought home at least 49 Bangladeshi nationals from the Andamans.
Talking to the news agency at Benapole, several of them said a group of 575 Bangladeshis entered into Thailand in four engine-run boats in December last year. "Being detained by Thai Navy they were mercilessly tortured in a barren hilly area."
Markin Mia, Abdul Gaffar, Lal Mia and Haritu told the agency that after a week they were forced to get on board four engine-less boats, which the Thai Navy ships tugged to the deep-sea to be abandoned in the wilderness with scanty food and water.
The rescued Bangladeshis told newsmen that at least 19 of their fellows died of starvation and dehydration in the sea until the Indian coastguards rescued them while at least 150 Bangladeshis were still languishing in Andaman jails for want of official confirmation about their identities.
All these people were allured by brokers who had promised them of good jobs in Malaysia and Thailand, taking Tk 1,50,000 from each of them.
Bangladesh officials earlier visited Andaman jail to see and confirm identifies of the stranded people there. They found many others to be Rohingyas of Myanmar or nationals of other countries after a "thorough investigation".
A foreign office statement said the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata supervised the repatriation process while two Bangladeshi diplomats accompanied their stranded compatriots from Andaman-Nicobor to Benapole frontier.
Officials and witnesses said Andaman police and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel handed them over to Bangladesh officials in presence of International Red Crescent Society (BRCS) officials. "Additional District Magistrate and Police Superintendent of Jessore received them at the frontier," an official said.
A foreign ministry spokesman said most of the stranded people hailed from Cox's Bazar and Chittagong districts and they would immediately be sent to their village homes with BRCS assistance.
Indian coastguards rescued at least 300 people from near-death from a sinking engine-less boat in December 2008, as they were forced aboard and set adrift with scanty food and drink allegedly by Thai navy after they made an abortive attempt to go to Malaysia in search of jobs.
The reports quoting Indian officials at that time said those people were from Bangladesh and Myanmar while in March this year the government brought home at least 49 Bangladeshi nationals from the Andamans.
Talking to the news agency at Benapole, several of them said a group of 575 Bangladeshis entered into Thailand in four engine-run boats in December last year. "Being detained by Thai Navy they were mercilessly tortured in a barren hilly area."
Markin Mia, Abdul Gaffar, Lal Mia and Haritu told the agency that after a week they were forced to get on board four engine-less boats, which the Thai Navy ships tugged to the deep-sea to be abandoned in the wilderness with scanty food and water.
The rescued Bangladeshis told newsmen that at least 19 of their fellows died of starvation and dehydration in the sea until the Indian coastguards rescued them while at least 150 Bangladeshis were still languishing in Andaman jails for want of official confirmation about their identities.
All these people were allured by brokers who had promised them of good jobs in Malaysia and Thailand, taking Tk 1,50,000 from each of them.
Bangladesh officials earlier visited Andaman jail to see and confirm identifies of the stranded people there. They found many others to be Rohingyas of Myanmar or nationals of other countries after a "thorough investigation".