48 trafficking victims return from Myanmar

A number of 48 Bangladeshi human trafficking victims, who were rescued by Myanmar authorities from the Bay of Bengal, returned home today.

Myanmar border guards repatriated the victims this afternoon following a flag meeting with their counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The returnees have been kept at a temporary camp of Cox’s Bazar district headquarters, said Brig Gen Md Habibul Karim, additional director of Chittagong South-East region of BGB.

A team of BGB went to Myanmar through Naikkhong-chhari border of Bandarban district around noon, said commanding officer of Cox’s Bazar BGB Battalion-17, who led the team, reports our Cox’s Bazar correspondent.

The Myanmar Navy on May 21 and 29 rescued 208 and 727 fortune seekers from the Bay of Bengal and claimed that all of them were from Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh government, after verifying their nationalities, brought back a total of 739 Bangladeshi trafficking victims in six phases on June 8 from Myanmar.