Photo : BSS

BAGERHAT, May 13, 2025 (BSS) – The Bangladesh Coast Guard has rescued 78 individuals who were reportedly forced into Bangladeshi territory by Indian authorities on May 9.

According to Coast Guard media officer B. N. Harun-or-Rashid, the individuals were found and rescued from Mandarbaria Char in the Sundarbans on May 10. They were later handed over to Shyamnagar Police Station in Satkhira for further legal procedures.

The rescued individuals reported that on the night of April 26, Indian security forces raided their settlement, demolished their homes, and physically assaulted them and their family members. Following the raid, they were transported to undisclosed locations aboard two military aircraft.

They further alleged that they were later transferred to a ship and abandoned in the remote Sundarbans region. 

During the journey, they claimed they were subjected to torture, denied food, and kept in harsh conditions. They also expressed concern for their missing family members whose whereabouts remain unknown to them.