BGB detains 4 Rohingyas in Panchagarh while ‘trying to enter India illegally’

Four Rohingyas, including two women, were detained in the Magurmari border area of Panchagarh Sadar upazila yesterday while they were allegedly trying to enter India illegally, said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

BGB said the detainees were handed over to Panchagarh Sadar Police Station later that night.

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They are Md Enayetullah, 23, and his wife Zainub Bibi, 21, residents of Rohingya refugee camp No 7 in Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar; and Enamul Hasan, 23, and his wife Nur Kalima, 20, residents of camp No 15 in Jamtoli, also in Ukhia.

According to BGB and the case statement, a patrol team from Magurmari Border Outpost detained the four around 6:00am near sub-pillar No 4 of main pillar No 742 in the Titihipara area of Satmera union, around 600 yards inside Bangladesh.

Subedar Ekabbar Rahman, company commander of the Magurmari BOP, said that during primary questioning, the detainees told BGB that a gang of six to seven human traffickers had brought them to the border area to help them enter India illegally in exchange for Tk 60,000.

The traffickers fled after sensing the presence of BGB personnel, leaving the four behind, he said. They also took away the mobile phones used by the detainees.

In this connection, BGB member Abul Kalam Azad of the same outpost filed a case with Panchagarh Sadar Police Station under the Human Trafficking Prevention and Suppression Act against six to seven unnamed people.

Mokhlesur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Panchagarh Sadar Police Station, said preparations were underway to produce them before a court.