US deports 31 Bangladeshis in handcuffs and shackles

Bangla Press Desk: The United States has deported 31 more Bangladeshis, transporting them in handcuffs and body shackles. 

They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday at 7pm on a special US military flight. Most of them are from Noakhali, while others are from Sylhet, Feni, Shariatpur, Comilla, and several other districts.

They said that they were transported for nearly 60 hours with handcuffs on their wrists and shackles on their bodies. They were unshackled upon arrival at the Dhaka airport.

After returning to power for a second term, US President Donald Trump intensified the deportation of undocumented immigrants. As part of this policy, many people from Bangladesh and other countries have already been sent back.

Through the airport authorities, BRAC provided emergency assistance and transportation support to the deported workers.

Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC’s Migration and Youth Platform, said that after talking to the returnees, they learned that at least seven of the 31 individuals had traveled to Brazil with clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). From there, they crossed into Mexico and entered the United States illegally. After they applied for residency, US authorities, following legal procedures, decided to deport them back to Bangladesh.

BP/SP