TURA: They had fled fearing for their lives in their own country only to find themselves separated from their families and be pushed into a prison inside India.
The 13 Bangladeshi nationals, comprising of 12 Hindus and a lone Muslim, had illegally crossed over the international border in South Garo Hills on Sunday to escape the escalating tension and attacks on minorities being perpetuated by alleged Islamic terror organizations. Among them were four children and three women.
They were detected by villagers and the border guards (BSF) in South Garo Hills and apprehended soon after.
The frightened illegal immigrants told authorities in India how tension had been gradually rising in that country with systematic targeting of minorities, particularly Hindus and other groups by radicalised Islamic groups.
They reportedly narrated to Indian officials about the daring attack and killing of a Hindu man just before the Durga Puja festival in Netrakona district, last year, which was soon after followed by repeated threats to their lives by hardliners.
Hoping to escape the religious intolerance in their own country they crossed the international border into India.
On Monday six members from the group, all adult males, were packed off to the Tura district jail by a district court in Baghmara, separated from their wives and children.
The three women and four children in the group have been given shelter in a children’s home in Baghmara. Interestingly, the entire thirteen individuals had to be provided shelter inside a police barrack in Baghmara police station on Sunday.
“We provided them with food and shelter for the night because there was no one from the Social Welfare department available at Baghmara on Sunday. Repeated attempt to contact them over phone was also futile. So we had to ask our constables to vacate the barrack to accommodate the families for the night,” the district police chief Anand Mishra told The Shillong Times.
When all 13 illegal immigrants were produced before a district court in Baghmara, on Monday, for violation of the Indian Passport Act, the judge sent the six male adults to 14 days judicial remand at Tura district jail.
The thirteen persons are Anjan Sarkar (45), his wife Savita Sarkar (35), their son Sujeet Sarkar (7), Gopal Bhaumik (30), his wife Shifali Bhaumik (25), their son Pujan Bhaumik (10), Athir Das (40), his mother Nioji Das (60), Bindu Lal (45), Niranjan Mondal (38), Dulal Sarkar (20), his brother Akash Sarkar (14) and Shabuddin Sarkar (14). They all belong to Anandpur village of Netrakona district.
