Tripura man repatriated from B’desh after 16 months in jail

Agartala: Ahead of Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Tripura on June 5, Pradip Chandra Pal, a resident of Amtali, was officially returned to India on Monday through Tripura’s Khowai border after spending more than a year in a Bangladesh prison.The handover took place around 11:30am at the Paharmura Border Gate in the presence of senior officials from the Border Security Force (BSF), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police representatives from both countries.Pal had been detained in Bangladesh for nearly 16 months on charges of entering the country without proper travel documents. Following his arrest, he was lodged in Habiganj district Jail, where he completed his sentence.After completing the sentence and required legal formalities, Bangladeshi authorities handed him over to Indian officials at the border.The repatriation was supervised by Khowai Police Station OC Krishna Dhan Sarkar along with BSF and local law enforcement. The Indian team included BSF 104 Battalion Company Commander Ashok Kumar, BSF official stanely, and the OC of Subaltila Outpost at Sidhai Police Station.On the Bangladesh side, the process was overseen by Md Daud Hossain, in charge of Balla BGB Camp No. 55, Md. Shamsuzzaman from Habiganj District Jail, and the OC of Chunarughat Police Station.Officials described the repatriation as smooth and well-coordinated, citing continued cooperation between India and Bangladesh on cross-border legal and humanitarian matters.Pal’s family received him after his return, expressing relief after his prolonged absence.