Raiganj, Aug. 31: The district administration has sought an explanation from Mekhliganj police station in Cooch Behar on why it had not intimated its counterparts in North Dinajpur about the return of the five Indian nationals from Bangladesh.

The five men— two named Aktar Hussain, Saiful Islam, Karim Bux and Azimuddin — had been apprehended by the Bangladesh police from Islampur and Chopra areas of North Dinajpur in 2000 for entering that country without valid travel documents. All of them had served their jail terms and were expected to come back through Hili today.

An inquiry by the district intelligence branch, however, revealed that Mekhliganj police had already received the five on May 31. The BSF outpost at Changrabandha border in Cooch Behar district had recorded their return (GR-109/04). Left red in the face by the revelation, police today abandoned arrangements to receive the five men.

The BSF— deployed in Hili (South Dinajpur) — too, had told the district administration that it has not received any message from its counterpart regarding the “push back” of the Indian nationals.

As expected, no one arrived from across the border today.

According to district administration sources, the special secretary (home) of Bengal had received a communication from Bangladesh High Commission saying that the jail term of the five men had expired and that they would be sent back on August 31.

Though the special secretary asked the district administration on August 3 to make necessary arrangements to “receive” them, the Bangladesh Rifles at Changrabandha outpost had already handed over the five Indians to the BSF on May 31. The border force personnel had then handed them over to Mekhliganj police, who released them after recording their arrival.

“We have to be on the alert because according to border norms anyone can enter India on personal bond,” district superintendent of police Ashok Kumar Dutta said.