President Donald Trump’s administration sent another 31 citizens of Bangladesh back to the South Asian country on Monday.
Airport officials said the group arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 7 p.m. on a special United States military flight and immediately received assistance from BRAC.
Many of the returnees, most of whom are from Noakhali, reported being chained and handcuffed for about 60 hours during transport.
Shariful Hasan, associate director at BRAC, confirmed the accounts and said seven had originally traveled to Brazil with Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training clearance before entering the United States illegally through Mexico.
“While the deportation of undocumented individuals might be normal, holding them in handcuffs and chains for hours on end is inhumane,” Hasan said. “We have repeatedly stated that most of those sent to Brazil under the guise of employment are actually using it as a springboard to enter the U.S. illegally via Mexico.”
Other nations have protested American treatment of their citizens during deportation. However, each of the deportee has broken American law by entering and staying in the country without authorization. He said the treatment was inhumane and urged stronger oversight of Brazil-bound workers.
Hasan said each spent as much as $28,000 to get to the United States.
The latest arrivals bring total deportations since Trump’s re-election to 226.