Bangladeshi minor repatriated by BSF after ‘illegal stay’ in India
BALURGHAT: The Border Security Force (BSF) recently repatriated a 14-year-old Bangladeshi boy who had been living in India illegally for nearly ten months after crossing the international border
through a secret route.
BSF officials said the minor, identified as Kalpa Chakraborty, had been sent to India by his father, Purna Chakraborty, in September last year. At that time, political unrest and instability in parts of Bangladesh prompted his father to secretly send him across the border for safety.
After crossing over, the boy took shelter at his maternal aunt’s residence at Samajhia-Nabagram in Barobhasha village of South Dinajpur district. Residents said he had been living there quietly since then, attending to daily chores and mingling with neighbours. However, his illegal entry came to light only recently.
Acting on specific information, BSF personnel detained the teenager on Tuesday afternoon. During questioning, the boy admitted he had crossed the border from Bangladesh. Soon after, a flag meeting was organised between BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), during which the minor was formally handed back to the Bangladeshi authorities. His father was present at the border during the repatriation process.
The incident has triggered mixed reactions in the area. While some locals sympathised with the boy’s circumstances, others maintained that the step was in line with international norms. His cousin Dhananjay Chakraborty remarked: “They have sent my brother back. Legally, the administration had no option but to return a foreign national.”