Nine Indians, who were detained in Bangladesh for entering the country in March without valid documents, were handed over to Border Security Force at Srimantapur border outpost in West Tripura district on Wednesday.
The 9, stage decorators by profession, were handed over by the Bangladesh Rifles in the presence of officials at Sonamura police station, BSF sources said.
The family members of the detainees were also present during the handing over, BSF sources added.
They had gone to Bangladesh at the invitation of a leader of the ruling Bangladesh National Party for putting up a stage in Comilla district from where President Khaleda Zia was supposed to address a public gathering.
They were arrested in Bangladesh and a case was registered against them as illegal trespassers and a local court sentenced them for three months imprisonment. The Indians were supposed to be released on July 25 after their jail term ended. But they were not set free.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had requested the Centre to take up the matter with Bangladesh, official sources said, adding that the intervention of External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh during his recent visit to the neighbouring country facilitated their release.
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