DHAKA: Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Sunday said there are at least 740 illegal Bangladeshi intruders in Thailand and they would be brought back to the home soon,

He made the disclosure while addressing the press on the just-concluded Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Italy’s Milan.

However, the issue has come forward after a good number of Bangladeshis were rescued from Thailand who were supposed to be ‘sold’ as slave in Thailand.

Ministry of foreign affairs’ Secretary Mustafa Kamal, regarding the matter, said the Thai authorities had informed them that some 118 people had identified themselves as Bangladeshi citizens among the 134 people rescued in two groups.

In the first group of the 53 people, some 38 claimed they were Bangladeshi nationals, while the others said they were from Myanmar, he added.

“In the second group of 80 people are from Myanmar, said they were Bangladesh citizens,” they added.

On Friday banglanews24.com reported that 176 Bangladeshi men went missing in Thailand among 300 who had been abducted and taken to Thailand to be sold as ‘slaves’ while 134 had been rescued.

BDST: 1841 HRS, OCT 19, 2014