Four Indians back in Tripura from Bangladesh jail

Four Indians imprisoned in Bangladesh finally returned to India Wednesday. Bangladesh border guards handed over the four to the Border Security Force (BSF), officials said Thursday.

"The Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) handed over four Indians Wednesday afternoon to the BSF through Belonia checkpost (120 km south of Tripura capital Agartala)," a BSF spokesman told reporters.

Three of the four Indians hail from southern Tripura and went to Bangladesh in May 2004 to attend a family event as they had relatives in that country. However, they had no passport or valid documents and police in Bangladesh arrested them. They were then sentenced to two-year jail terms.

However, due to various reasons their stay in prison extended to nine years.

The fourth person to be released was illegally intercepted by three BGB troopers while bathing at the Feni river on the border in April, 2007. He was sentenced to six months in jail but released only now.

A BSF spokesman said that New Delhi and Dhaka had exchanged letters and held meetings on the repatriation of the four Indians, finally leading to the BGB troopers deporting them.

The BSF have sent the four back to their families.