Two Bangladeshi women trafficked to India return via Benapole

Indian authorities on Wednesday sent back two Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to the country, through the Benapole border.

They have been identified as Moushumi Khatun, 24, and Mariam Khatun, 25, residents of Sirajganj and Jessore districts, respectively.

India’s Petrapole immigration authorities handed over the two women to their counterparts in Benapole on Wednesday morning.

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They were later sent to a hotel to undergo the mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine.

Office-bearer of “Justice and Care”, an NGO in Jessore, Shaoli Sultana, said: “Moushumi and Mariam went to India’s Mumbai illegally with the hope of grabbing well-paid jobs but ended up getting risky jobs there.”

Tipped off, Indian police arrested them and an NGO subsequently kept them at its shelter home.

The Indian police sent the women back to Bangladesh on travel permits following an exchange of letters at the Home Ministry level, said Shaoli.