Push-in victims: Indian police tortured them, bulldozed their houses
Indian police allegedly tortured Bangladeshi-origin Muslims in Gujarat and bulldozed their homes on April 26, and then on May 9, the Indian authorities pushed them to the Mandarbaria Char in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh Coast Guard said in a statement today.
Lt Commander HMM Harun-Or-Rashid, spokesperson for the Coast Guard, said they rescued 75 Bangladeshi Muslims and three Indian Muslims, who had been illegally pushed into Bangladeshi territory by the Indian authorities, on May 10.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The victims had reportedly been living in Gujarat for years and engaged in various professions, he said.
After preliminary questioning, it was learned that the Indian authorities allegedly detained the individuals from their homes in the dead of night on April 26. In the early hours of May 9, they were reportedly transported and secretly left at Mandarbaria Char in the Sundarbans.
After being dropped off, the victims walked to the Mandarbaria Forest Office and sought help.
Upon receiving information, the Coast Guard's West Zone unit conducted a rescue operation and provided them with food and medical aid, reads the statement.
"According to the pushed-in victims, Indian police raided their slums, bulldozed their homes, and subjected them and their families to inhumane torture," it said.
They were reportedly blindfolded and transported on a military aircraft to an undisclosed location, while their family members were taken separately on another military aircraft to a different destination, the statement read.
The Indian authorities reportedly transported them by ship to a location within the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. While on board, they allegedly faced physical abuse, inhumane treatment, and derogatory remarks targeting their religious beliefs. Additionally, they were deprived of food. Till now, they remain unaware of the whereabouts of their wives and children, said the Coast Guard, quoting the victims.
The rescued individuals were handed over to Shyamnagar Police Station in Satkhira on May 11 for legal procedures.
Besides these 78 individuals, some 202 others, including Rohingyas, were pushed in by India between May 7 and May 9 through remote points along the border, according to Border Guard Bangladesh.
These include areas such as Panchari, Jamini Para, and Khedachhara in Khagrachhari; areas in Moulvibazar; and the Raumari char regions in Kurigram.
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