AGARTALA, June 7 (TIWN): 92 persons of Tripuri communities who rushed from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh to Gandacherra sub-division in Dhalai district were repatriated today. The repatriation started from 12 noon and continued till 2 PM this afternoon, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Gandacherra Bhaskar Dasgupta said this evening.

The Dhalai district administration scanned eighty-four asylum seekers from Bangladesh since their arrival on June 02. The figures later rose to ninety-two as many were found trying to assimilate in relatives’ families living in the vicinity of Tuichakma ADC village, Ratannanar ADC village and adjoining areas.

The refugees were kept inside Girish Karbari Para School in Tuichakma ADC village for the past five days. They were repatriated to Bangladesh through Maharaja 1 Border Outpost of the Border Security Forces (BSF) in close collaboration with the Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB).

The repatriation was held along Border Post 2269 in the Indo-Bangla international border along Raishyabari, sources in the sub-divisional administration said.

Asked about the issue, SDM Bhaskar Dasgupta said that the repatriation was held in the presence of District Magistrate (Dhalai) Milind Ramteke, the SDM, Upa Zilla Nirvahi Adhikarik Fazlul Ahamed and other officials on the day.

The Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Border Guards (BBG) thwarted a recent attempt of influx of people from Chakma community from the CHT in 2012. Around 250 people from the CHT gathered at the Silachari border outpost, around 200 metres from the Indo-Bangla borderline. All asylum seekers were reported to be from Masterpata and Kadamtala village under KHagrachari district of Southern Bangladesh.

BSF sources said that attempts of influx from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) into Bangladesh were common incidents in the area since it had several patches still waiting for barbed wire fencing. In a similar incident in August, 2013, 1,500 Chakma and Tripuri refugees sought shelter in the border village of Karbook following alleged persecution on them across five villages in Khagrachari district of Bangladesh.