A total of 245 Indians, who were stranded in Bangladesh for more than three months, returned to the country by road and were admitted to institutional quarantine centres, officials said on Friday. In a separate move, 32 Bangladeshis, who were stranded in India since the first lockdown was imposed on March 25, have been sent back to the neighbouring country through a checkpoint in southern Assam's Karimganj district.

According to the police and civil officials, 245 Indians, including women and children, belonging to Tripura, entered through the Akhaura-Agartala integrated check-post (ICP), adjacent to Agartala, on Thursday and Friday.

"Immediately on their return, all the 245 people were sent to institutional quarantine centres for seven days, after which they have to be under home quarantine for another seven days," a health official said.

Officials in Karimganj (southern Assam) said that 32 Bangladeshis, including 18 women, returned to their country. Of the 32 Bangladeshis, eight were studying in NIT Silchar in Cachar district while some others came to India for medical treatment and got stranded due to the lockdown.

The Bangladeshis were screened by a medical team of the district before being sent back.

Earlier on May 28, 235 stranded Indians had returned to Tripura and Assam from Bangladesh, of which many had tested positive for Covid-19 (IANS)