‘Threatened by fundamentalists’ in Bangladesh, minor girl flees to India; arrested

PTI, Dec 12, 2024, 12:17 PM IST

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Kolkata: A teenage girl from Bangladesh was arrested by West Bengal Police after the BSF apprehended her after she allegedly crossed the border and illegally entered the Indian territory in Uttar Dinajpur district, an officer said on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old girl claimed to have fled after her family members were allegedly threatened by fundamentalists there for being ISKCON devotees.

“The girl has some relatives in Jalpaiguri district. We have got in touch with them. We are trying to find out what made her cross the border and come to this side and who helped her in doing so,” the police officer of Chopra police station said.

The girl, who is a resident of Panchagarh district of Bangladesh, crossed the border on foot when the BSF spotted her near the Fatehpur Border outpost in Chopra block of Uttar Dinajpur district, he added.

“They are devotees of ISKCON. Fundamentalists have threatened to kidnap her and murder the entire family. They were planning to send her here. She was about to come to India but we had no confirmation about the date,” one of the teenager’s relatives told PTI over the phone.

Her father, a medical representative, has been ill for quite some time, the relative said.

Bangladesh has been on the boil since the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Dhaka on November 25 when the country witnessed several incidents of atrocities on the Hindu minorities there.

Reacting to the incident, ISKCON Kolkata Vice President Radaramn Das requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene in the matter.

“It is heartbreaking and deeply distressing to learn about a minor girl from Bangladesh who, in sheer desperation, tried to cross into India alone, only to be arrested by the BSF and thrown into juvenile custody,” Das said in a post on X.

Her parents, both gravely ill, urged her to cross over to India because of the conditions in Bangladesh and their fear for her safety, he said.

They had no choice but to entrust their daughter’s life to the hope of finding refuge with their relatives in India, he said.

“How can we, as a nation, ignore such a plea for help? How can we turn away a vulnerable child seeking safety and love? I humbly and urgently request @HMOIndia to intervene with compassion and humanity, and allow this innocent girl to live with her relatives,” Das added.