‘I gave my son Riduan (19) a chicken and fish farm. He was having a good time with them. But suddenly one day he disappeared. I couldn’t find it after searching everywhere. I gave up hope, I will never get my son back. A year passed like this. Suddenly a call comes from a foreign number. Riduan was saying from the other side, he is imprisoned in Myanmar prison. Several others were arrested on their way to Malaysia. It was uncertain when he would be able to return. But by chance Riduan returned today after 18 months of imprisonment. It seemed to him that the sinking sun of life had risen again in the cloudless sky.’
Hasan Ali, a resident of Hoikong Bazar area of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, was reacting to his son Riduan’s return to the country after being imprisoned in Myanmar for a long time.
173 Bangladeshis returned to the country on Wednesday (April 24) after serving a long time in prison for infiltrating Myanmar. The ship carrying them arrived at the wharf around 1:30 p.m. Earlier on Tuesday (April 23) morning, a Myanmar ship left for Bangladesh with them from Sittwe port in Myanmar.
They were picked up by a Bangladeshi ship after the ship reached Bangladesh’s territorial waters in the morning. Later, the ship left for Nunyarchhara BIWTA wharf at Bankkhali river estuary in Cox’s Bazar and reached the destination around 1.30 pm. Then from 2.30 pm to 10 people in groups, they were brought down from the ship and handed over to their relatives.
According to district administration sources, out of 173 people who returned from Myanmar, 129 have their homes in Cox’s Bazar. Of the rest, 30 are from Bandarban, seven from Rangamati and Khagrachari. Besides, there is one each from Noakhali, Narayanganj, Chittagong, Rajbari, Narsingdi and Nilphamari districts.
Of the 173 returnees, 144 were sentenced to various terms and were imprisoned in Myanmar. Their sentences have already expired. The remaining 29 were brought under special amnesty even though their sentences had not expired.
Even though the handover process was completed by 4 pm, those whose relatives did not come were taken under the control of the district administration. Arrangements will be made to reach them home from there.
Meanwhile, relatives including parents-siblings were waiting at Nunyarchhara BIWTA ghat area of Cox’s Bazar city since morning. Talked there with Chenwara Begum, a resident of Hnilar Kharankhali in Teknaf. He said, ’12 years ago my brother Khorshed Alam (30) went missing. I got news on Tuesday that many Bangladeshis are being brought from Myanmar prisons. So I am waiting for my brother. My mother died of grief crying for her son. We are emotional to get our brother back after an age.’
Farida Khatun of Ukhia’s Palangkhali Middle Farirbil area said, ‘My son Arafat Hossain (20) used to drive an autorickshaw. 14 months ago fell into the hands of brokers and disappeared from the house saying that he was going to Malaysia. After 9 months I received his letter and confirmed that he is in Myanmar prison. I got news through close relatives that they are being brought from Myanmar. I got my son back thanks to Allah.’
Similarly, 173 people including Salahuddin son of Badiul Alam of Mankhali in Jaliapalong of Ukhiya, Farooq Ahmad son of Shah Alam, Mahmudul Haque son of Faridul Alam and Nurul Alam son of Nurul Islam of Hazampara in Baharchhar of Teknaf were in Myanmar jail for various terms.
Returned Bangladeshis said that they were regularly tortured in Myanmar prisons. One meal a day was given, and that too was unfit for consumption. Along with them, more Bangladeshis are imprisoned in the country’s prisons. Most of them were arrested while going to Malaysia by sea. They also want to return.
On Thursday (April 25), 285 BGP (Border Guard Force) and army personnel who fled to save their lives from the ongoing conflict in Rakhine will return from Bangladesh on the same ship that brought the Bangladeshi prisoners.
According to the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar, those who were sent back were detained for infiltrating into Myanmar several times. The initiative to send them back is taken only after it is confirmed that they are citizens of Bangladesh after verification.
Earlier on Monday (April 22) in a press conference about the Prime Minister’s visit to Thailand, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that the BGP members who escaped from Myanmar will be sent back to their country by the ship that will reach the country with the captive Bangladeshis.
ASM Sayem, the counselor of the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar, told the international media that first of all, the Bangladeshi authorities have verified whether the detainees are legal citizens of Bangladesh or not. Once that is confirmed, the return process starts. They were held in Sittwe prison before being sent back to Bangladesh. After confirming their identity, they were picked up on a ship of the country’s navy through strict security.
According to the source, the length of the border of Bangladesh with Myanmar is about 300 km. For more than a decade, Bangladeshis have been detained at the Myanmar border while trying to cross the border illegally to go to Malaysia or Thailand.
Meanwhile, 9 youths from Gorznia Morichyachar village of Ramur, Cox’s Bazar, are under the grip of human traffickers and are imprisoned in Myanmar jail, said local public representative Nezam Uddin. They are Gorznia Ward No. 2 Morichyachar Village Md. Ebadullah son of Moktar, Forkan son of Motaher Ahmad, Noor Hossain son of Badiul Alam, Jasim Uddin son of Chayed Alam, Michbah son of Ahmadur Rahman, Monir Ahmad son of Moktar Ahmad, Ziaur Rahman son of Nuru Jabbar and Chayed Hossain son of Abul Hasem.
These young people between 18 and 25 years old were taken by the Dalal gang six months ago with the dream of going to Malaysia easily through Thailand. After that they took 5-6 lakh taka from each family by holding them hostage. All of them are living an inhumane life in Myanmar prisons, said the returnees.
Syed Alamgir/SR/GKS
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