44 held while crossing border illegally

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested 36 people while they were illegally entering Bangladesh from India through Putkhali border under Benapole Police station on Sunday night.

The border guards later arrested eight others while they were going to India without valid documents through the border point the same night.

Shamsur Rahman, in-charge of 23 BGB Battalion camp in Putkhali, said a BGB patrol team, acting on a tip-off, raided the border point at around 9:00pm and arrested 36 people, including 16 women and eight children, while they were entering Bangladesh.

Later, the BGB personnel arrested five men and three women while they were going to India through the border point illegally.

All the arrestees hail from different areas of Gopalganj, Khulna,and  Narail districts, BGB sources said, adding that the human traffickers fled the scene, sensing the presence of BGB team.

Apurbo Hasan, officer-in-charge of Benapole Port Police Station, said the arrestees were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station yesterday morning.