Three Bangladeshis including a woman returned home on Sunday night after languishing in Indian prison for two years. Read: 3,350 Bangladeshis return through Benapole since Apr 26; 17 test Covid positive The returnees are Imran Hossain, 26, son of Joynal Hossain of Sadarpur in Faridpur district, Elahi Mia, 55, son of Shaheed Mia of Bancharampur in Brahmanbaria district and Taslima Akter, 21, daughter of Ali Molla of Digholia in Khulna district. Indian police arrested them from different parts of the country when they went there in search of work and a court sentenced them to two years jail in India. Read:105 Bangladeshis return from India through Benapole Ahsan Habib, officer-in-charge of Benapole Check-post Immigration Police, said Indian police handed them over to Benapole Immigration after their jail term ended. All the three victims were taken to a 14-day mandatory quarantine. After completion of 14-day quarantine they will be handed over to a local NGO. Read: 15 stranded Bangladeshis return home through Benapole  

Liquid oxygen import from India remained suspended at Benapole check-post for the past four days as the neighboring country has been struggling with shortage of oxygen amid the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic. The last oxygen-laden tanker was unloaded on April 22 and last week 29 tankers with around 1,815 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen was imported from India through Benapole port, said Deputy Commissioner Mustafizur Rahman of Benapole Customs House. Also read: Border with India to remain shut for 14 days: FM Bangladeshi company Linde Bangladesh imported the liquid oxygen, he said. Customs sources said every month around 30,000 metric tonnes of oxygen is imported from India as the country is one of the key exporters of oxygen to Bangladesh. In recent times demand for oxygen cylinders increased rapidly due to the second wave of Coronavirus and the suspension also causing Bangladeshi traders a huge economic blow and crisis in the medical services. Read Chandpur General Hospital to get oxygen plant Representative of Indian oxygen importers and Bangladesh-India Chamber of Commerce Director Motiar Rahman said India currently suspended the export as the country witnessed a record number of infections and deaths in recent time. Oxygen is the key factor for saving lives of Covid-19 infected patients, he said, hoping that India will resume the export for the sake of friendship between the two countries. Linde Bangladesh is also planning to import oxygen from Singapore, he added. Also read: Netherlands to ban flights from India over virus fears

More than 100 Bangladeshis including cancer patients have remained stuck at Benapole check-post for not having Covid-19 negative certificates while returning from India.

A total of 3,178 Indian nationals returned to their home country through Benapole Immigration Check-Post in the past week.

 Seventy-four Bangladeshi nationals, who got stuck in India, returned home through Benapole check-post under a special arrangement on Wednesday.   The body of a Bangladeshi was also brought back.   Ahsan Kabir, officer-in-charge of Benapole Immigration, said these people went to India for treatment and travel purposes and got stuck when the Indian government declared shutdown till May 3.   Sunil Das, a returnee, said he went to Chennai for treatment two months ago.   Puluk Kumar Mandal, Sharsha Upazila Nirbahi Officer, said 477 people have so far returned from India since April 6 and they were kept in quarantine at Benapole Municipality Biye Bari and a madrasha on Jahore-Benapole Highway.

Eighty-one Bangladeshi nationals, who got stuck  in different areas of West Bengal during the ongoing lockdown in entire India, returned home through Benapole Check-post on Friday.   They entered Bangladesh in small groups from 7am.