, May 29 -- six Bangladeshi youths returned home through the Benapole border on Thursday night after serving 17 months in an Indian prison for illegal entry.

The returnees, hailing from Bogura, Khulna, Natore, Chattogram, Dhaka and Cumilla districts, were handed over to Benapole Immigration Police by India's Petrapole immigration authorities around 9:00pm under a special travel permit.

Inspector (Investigation) of Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police Syed Mortaza Ali said the youths had travelled to Chennai in India through illegal channels with the help of traffickers in search of better employment opportunities.

They were later arrested by Indian police on charges of illegal infiltration and were sentenced by an Indian court to 17 m...