Five Bangladeshi Nationals Detained in Tripura for Illegal Entry

Agartala, May 22, 2025, By Our Correspondent

Agartala: May 22: In a joint operation involving local residents and Madhupur Police Station, five Bangladeshi nationals were detained in the Pathariadar area of Tripura on Thursday morning. The group, consisting of three men and two women, was apprehended while allegedly attempting to cross into India illegally with the intention of traveling to Delhi for work.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the group was smuggled into India by a human trafficking network operating from Bangladesh. Each individual reportedly paid 15,000 Bangladeshi Taka to the traffickers. They were brought across the border by passing through a culvert beneath the barbed-wire fencing in the border area near Pathariadar, which falls under the jurisdiction of Madhupur Police Station. Evading BSF surveillance, they wandered throughout the night before being spotted by locals the next morning.

Alerted by the residents, Madhupur Police swiftly responded and detained the group. During initial questioning, all five individuals admitted to being Bangladeshi nationals. It was later confirmed that they are members of the same family from Kurigram District in the Rangpur Division of Bangladesh. The detained individuals have been identified as Monir Khan (father), his wife Saheba Khatun, their sons Shahjalal Khan and Swadhin Khan, and their daughter-in-law Dulali Khatun.

The incident has sparked concerns over cross-border human trafficking in the region. While the involvement of a trafficking network in Bangladesh has been established, police suspect possible assistance from individuals on the Indian side of the border as well. Investigations are ongoing to trace the network and any local collaborators involved in facilitating the illegal entry.

The arrest has drawn attention to the persistent issue of human trafficking along the Indo-Bangladesh border and the need for increased vigilance and cross-border cooperation.