Bangladesh prisons hold 407 foreigners. Of those, 172 await repatriation.

At least 172 foreign nationals eligible for release remain behind bars in Bangladesh awaiting repatriation, according to prison authorities cited by The Daily Star.

They are among 407 foreigners held across Bangladesh, including 44 convicted prisoners and 191 awaiting trial.

India accounts for 238 prisoners, including 168 who have completed their sentences but remain detained pending arrangements for their return, prison authorities said.

“They cannot return because clearance from the respective countries has not arrived,” Masud Hasan Jewel, jailer for media and logistics, told The Daily Star.

India’s diplomatic mission in Dhaka, however, said 25 verified Indian nationals who had completed their sentences were awaiting repatriation. It said Bangladesh had also supplied lists of 121 reportedly Indian prisoners, but most lacked sufficient information to verify nationality.

Prison officials said prolonged detention was creating logistical difficulties and increasing government costs.