US deports more 30 Bangladeshis
Staff Reporter :
A group of 30 Bangladeshis deported from the United States arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late Thursday night under strict security.
Several eyewitnesses and airport sources allege the returnees were brought back in handcuffs and leg irons, sparking renewed criticism over the treatment of undocumented migrants.
Their special chartered flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 11:30 pm on Thursday and remained on the runway nearly 2am.
During those hours, officials reportedly removed the restraints
before the deportees were escorted to the airport’s arrival area.
Security was tight, with special teams from the Ministry of Home Affairs, intelligence agencies, and officials from the US Embassy present. Among the deportees was one woman.
Witnesses described many of the returnees as visibly exhausted, with some complaining of physical pain from wearing restraints during the nearly 60-hour journey.
One 22-year-old from Noakhali, Abdullah, said he felt “treated like a criminal” despite being an undocumented migrant.
Sources at the airport confirmed that NGO BRAC provided financial assistance to help the deportees return their homes.
The US has intensified deportation operations since Donald Trump began his second term as president.
Over the past few months, at least 187 Bangladeshis targeting undocumented migrants in the US have been forcibly returned, often aboard chartered or military transport planes.
On August 2, a US Air Force C-17 aircraft carried back 39 Bangladeshis, all restrained in shackles – a practice now repeated in this latest flight.
According to returnees, food during the journey consisted mainly of bread and water, and even bathroom visits required escort by US officers.
Rights advocates argue that restraining migrants in this way violates international human rights norms.
“This kind of treatment leaves deportees traumatised for life,” Shariful Hasan, Associate Director at BRAC’s Migration and Youth Platform told the media.
“Repatriation is legal, but the process must be humane. We hope US authorities will reconsider such practices,” he added.
The issue has resurfaced memories of 2016, when the shackled return of 27 Bangladeshis caused a public outcry and drew diplomatic discussions between Dhaka and Washington.
US authorities have been carrying out stricter immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump began his second term, resulting in the repatriation of nationals from several countries, including Bangladesh.