A total of 13 Bangladeshi teenagers have returned home after serving two years in India on Tuesday.

They arrived at the Benapole Checkpost on afternoon through a special travel permit. The Indian Petrapole Immigration Police handed them over to the Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police. The returnees are Khaled Mahmud, Abdullah, Sagar Mallik, Roni Mallik, Dibyaporni, Tamim Islam, Saba Islam, Diya Mondal, Riya Mondal, Jannat Akter, Brishti Biswas, Chandni Akter, and Ankush Mondal. They hail from the districts of Satkhira, Jessore, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Munshiganj, Comilla, and Gopalganj.

Azharul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police, said the teenagers were lured by brokers promising good jobs and illegally crossed various border points into India two years ago.

They were subsequently arrested by Indian police while working in households and sent to jail for illegal entry. After serving their sentences, two Indian NGOs, Dhruvashram and Sukanya, secured their release and placed them in their shelter homes, he said. Following the completion of immigration formalities, they returned home on Tuesday afternoon via a special travel permit issued by the Indian government, he added.

The returnees were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station. From there, human rights organization Justice and Care will take custody of them and facilitate their reunion with their families, said OC Azharul Islam. Muhit Hossain, Senior Program Officer of Justice and Care in Jashore, said that the returnees will be temporarily housed in the organization's shelter home before being handed over to their respective families.