As many as 495 foreign nationals are serving different jail terms in Bangladesh, says Home Minister Assaduzzaman Khan.
“Of them, 86 have already served their terms but they are still behind bars as their respective countries refused to take them back,” he said on Saturday (Apr 20).
Speaking at a regional conference on combating human-trafficking in Dhaka, Khan said Bangladesh has recently witnessed a decline in human trafficking.
“Nowadays traffickers lure people to go abroad rather than forcing them, eventually they become victims of trafficking,” he said.
Speaking of human trafficking in Bangladesh-India border, the minister said, “We share 4,156 kilometres border with India. Sometimes our people (Bangladeshis) fall prey to forced trafficking, sometimes they are lured.
“But, it’s clear that scenario is comparatively better. Now less number of people fall victim of temptation,” said Khan adding incident of trafficking has largely decreased in Bangladesh.
The minister said there is a police committee in each district to prevent trafficking and the home ministry monitors their activities round-the-clock.
Speaking of Badal Faraji, Kamal admitted to have some complexities over the issues.
“Only he [Farazi] can walks free upon receiving a presidential clemency,” said the minister.
Who is Badal Faraji?
Badal Faraji, now 29, entered India to visit Taj Mahal in India’s Delhi 11 years ago.
India’s Border Security Force arrested him instead of Badal Singh, who was an accused in a murder case. He did not know English. So, he could not communicate that it was a mistake.
Later, a court sentenced him to life term in prison in the case. He was sent to Tihar jail in Delhi from where he obtained SSC, HSC, and graduate degrees. His name came into light when Indian media published reports in 2018 that he was sentenced wrongly.
Based on the media reports, India sent him back to Bangladesh last year under a repatriation deal on sentenced prisoners between the two countries
National Human Rights Commission in association with International Organization for Migration organized Saturday’s event titled 'Combating Trafficking: Repatriation of Victims of Traffic' at a city hotel.