The Border Security Force (BSF) of India has handed over 14 Bangladeshi citizens, including women and children who had voluntarily surrendered at India’s Hakimpur camp, to the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB).

The handover took place on Sunday at around 6:45pm through a flag meeting near the zero line of Taluigacha border in Satkhira Sadar upazila.

According to BGB sources shared with the media on Sunday night, the individuals were detained on 30 August at around 11:30pm while crossing India’s Hakimpur check post by members of a patrol team from the BSF Hakimpur camp.

Later, on Sunday evening at around 6:45pm, the handover was facilitated through a flag meeting at Taluigacha border, mediated by Indian BSF Amudia Company Commander Inspector Dibajyoti Doli and BGB 33 Battalion’s Taluigacha BOP Commander Nayeb Subedar Md Abul Kashem.

Following the handover, the individuals were taken to Satkhira Sadar police station at around 9pm.

Nazrul Shikdar, who returned from India, stated that 13 of them from Bagerhat and Pirojpur districts had crossed the border into India with their families several years ago. They had been living in Bangalore, Karnataka, working as day labourers.

Recently, the Bangalore police launched a large-scale drive to detain Bangladeshi citizens residing illegally, prompting them to move to Kolkata a few days earlier to avoid arrest. On Saturday, at around 8pm, they went to the Hakimpur BSF camp and voluntarily surrendered. BSF handed them over to BGB during the flag meeting on Sunday night.

Satkhira Sadar police station Inspector (Operations) Sushanta Ghosh confirmed the handover and stated that after verifying the names and addresses of the Bangladeshi citizens, they would be handed over to their relatives.