173 return home from Myanmar prisons
A total 173 Bangladeshi citizens, who have been held imprisoned in Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine State, for one to three years, returned to Bangladesh today.
They were picked up from a Myanmar ship "Chin Dwin" waiting in the deep sea and ferried to BIWTA jetty on Bankkhali river in Cox's Bazar at around 1:15am today, said district administration officials.
They were later handed over to relatives, except one who has a criminal charge to his name, around 2:30pm after conducting their health check and immigration, said an official wishing anonymity.
Among the 173 Bangladeshis, there were 3 women who hailed from Bandarban Sadar upazila.
"With the sincere efforts of the government, it was possible to bring back 173 Bangladeshis imprisoned in Myanmar jails after they completed their sentences," said Saimum Sarwar Kamal, whip of Jatiya Sangsad and lawmaker from Cox's Bazar-3 constituency, who was present at the scene.
A heart-wrenching situation prevailed centring their return from Myanmar at the BIWTA jetty.
Samaru Begum, 70, came from Teknaf upazila to receive her son. Tears rolled down from her cheeks as she met her son Jasim Uddin.
"I thought I would never see my son again. He is back to me. It's a special day for me and my family," she said.
Jasim Uddin was caught by the Myanmar authorities after he was trafficked to Myanmar, and had been in jail for over a year.
Myanmar Border Guard Police had caught two sons of Noor Islam of Teknaf while they were fishing in Naf River two years back.
"I have finally got my sons back," he said.
Meanwhile, a delegation from Myanmar, who were also brought by the same ship, went to Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban where 285 members of Myanmar Border Guard Police have been kept under custody of Border Guard Bangladesh after they fled from war zone in Rakhine State and took refuge in Bangladesh since March 11.
The Myanmar delegation will return to Sittwe today with the 285 BGP members on the same ship.
Earlier on February 15, 330 Myanmar nationals, who had entered Bangladesh after fleeing the ongoing conflict between the military junta and the Arakan Army in Rakhine state, returned to their country.
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