bangladeshi-family-chooses-indian-jail-over-returning-home

A Bangladeshi family of ten, fearing persecution in their homeland, expressed their preference for living in an Indian jail rather than returning to Bangladesh.

The family, led by auto driver Sankar Chandra Sarkar, was detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Tripura’s Dhalai district on 7 December while attempting to seek refuge across the border.

Sankar, in his 40s, hails from Dhanpur village in Bangladesh’s Kishorganj district. Speaking to reporters, he cited an increasingly hostile environment for minorities in Bangladesh, particularly after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, as the reason for their desperate journey.

“The situation in Bangladesh has become unbearable since the Sheikh Hasina government weakened. Minorities like us are no longer safe. Living there with my wife and children is very tough. We face constant attacks and threats. Even filing complaints leads to more violence. I’m just a driver trying to support my family, but survival has become impossible. We crossed the border to find peace, and even if it means imprisonment, we’d prefer that to going back,” Sankar stated.

The group, which includes Sankar's elderly father, wife, children, and brother, reportedly spent several nights in the forest before crossing the border in the early hours of the day.

“We are ten people here, including my father. After spending nights in the forest, we crossed the border with the help of one person. We were en route to Silchar in Assam by train. We are ready to die here but will not go back,” Sankar added.

GRP detains the group

The GRP, acting on a tip-off, detained the family near Ambassa Railway Station.

GRP official Pintu Das said, “We received information about a group of Bangladeshi nationals waiting outside Ambassa Railway Station. Upon investigation, we spotted an auto-rickshaw with its passengers concealed by curtains.

 

This raised suspicion, and we detained them. Upon questioning, they admitted to being Bangladeshi nationals. Among the 10 people detained are three men, six women, and one minor. They confessed to crossing the border at Kamalpur in Dhalai District and were on their way to Silchar.”