159 trafficking victims to be repatriated from Myanmar Aug 5

A total of 159 Bangladeshi trafficking victims who were rescued by Myanmar from sea and scheduled to be brought back home yesterday, will be repatriated on August 5 due to rough weather in the sea.

“We have sent a letter to the Immigration and National Registration Department in Myanmar informing them to repatriate our 159 Bangladesh trafficking victims on August 5,” Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)-17 commander Lieutenant Colonel M Rabiul Islam told our Cox’s bazar correspondent.

“And we hope that we would get a positive gesture in this regard,” the BGB official added.

They were scheduled to be repatriated to Bangladesh on Thursday but the effort failed due to the impact of Cyclone Komen, he said.

He also added that the ‘159 trafficking victims’, who were rescued by Myanmar navy, have been identified as Bangladeshi through a flag meeting with Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP).

A total 150 Bangladeshi trafficking victims were repatriated home, on June 8, 37 on 19 and 155 brought back home on July 22.