13 rescued, trafficker arrested

Bangladesh Rifles rescued 13 people from traffickers on Ayarmari border in Ulipur upazila of Kurigram district yesterday. A woman trafficker was also arrested.Photo: STAR

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel rescued 13 people while they were being trafficked to India in a boat through the Brahmaputra River early yesterday.
BDR sources said a patrol team of Daikhawa border outpost under Ulipur upazila intercepted the boat near border pillar no 1042 when it was proceeding toward India with 13 people, including three women and five children aboard, at around 4:00am and rescued them.
One of the two traffickers, Hasina Begum, 45, was arrested along with her four-year-old daughter during operation while the other named Billar Hossain managed to escape.
The rescued people are Maidul Haque, 25, Shahidul, 27, Hira Mia, 22, Joynal Abedin, 30, Marium Begum, 21, Laiju Begum, 20, Sabina, 18, Shakil, 6, Nazmul Hossain, 2, Mosharraf Hossain, 8, and Mozaffar, 3, of Azoatari village and Rawshan Akhter, 16 and Rozina Akhter, 9 of Sonaikazi village under Fulbari upazila of the district.
They told BDR that Hasina Begum, wife of Joynal Abedin of bordering Sonaikazi village, and her son-in-law Billar Hossain, an Indian citizen, were taking them to India, promising job.
BDR later handed over the rescued people, trafficker Hasina and her daughter Beauty to Ulipur Police Station.
A case was filed with the police station concerned against traffickers Hasina Begum and Billar Hossain.