Four minor girls rescued from trafficking bid at New Bongaigaon Railway Station

Dhubri, Nov 28: In a major action against cross-border human trafficking, the railway police at the New Bongaigaon Railway Station on Wednesday apprehended four Bangladeshi girls who had reportedly entered India illegally through the India-Bangladesh border. They were later pushed back via Golakganj in Dhubri district.

According to police sources, the girls had been lured with promises of lucrative jobs in India but are now suspected to be victims of a trafficking network engaged in "immoral activities".

Investigators believe a broker facilitated their illegal entry for a payment of approximately Rs 1.5 lakh, arranging their movement across the porous international border.

The group was intercepted at the railway station while travelling toward an unknown destination deeper inside the country. The detained girls have been identified as Sumaiya Akhter Tasmiya of Shariatpur village in Madaripur district, Suhana Khatun Akhi of Maligachar village in Pabna district, Abida Chowdhury Misti Abida of Baligaon in Gazipur district and Misti Shirina Akhter Faria of Baipara Ranikhong village in Netrokona district, all from Bangladesh.

Preliminary findings indicate that they were victims of a well-organised trafficking racket operating across the India-Bangladesh frontier. Authorities suspect that the group intended to exploit the girls for immoral purposes after bringing them into Indian territory.

A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of law, and a detailed investigation is underway to identify the broker and uncover the wider network functioning on both sides of the border.

The incident once again underscores the persistent threat of human trafficking along the international boundary, where traffickers frequently target vulnerable young women with false promises of employment and a better future.

Meanwhile, BSF officials confirmed that during a flag meeting with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the four Bangladeshi nationals were formally handed over to the BGB after completing all procedural requirements.