A joint team of Nepal Police and the Indian Border Security Force (SSB) rescued 42 Indian citizens, including women and children, from a brick kiln in Rautahat District, Madhesh Province, on October 7, 2026.
The rescue operation took place at a brick kiln in Ishnath Municipality-8, Rautahat. The rescued individuals include 23 men, 11 women, and 8 children. Priyavrat Sharma, Commandant of the SSB’s 47th Battalion, confirmed the joint rescue effort.
Following their rescue, all 42 individuals were transported to a quarantine facility in Raxaul, East Champaran District, in India’s Bihar state.
The rescue comes amid long-standing concerns regarding Indian laborers in Nepal’s brick industry, who are often brought in with advance payments, which can lead to debt bondage. Nepal has the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2064, and its Regulations, 2065, in place.
The Madhesh Province government has announced a “Child Labor Free Madhesh” campaign as part of its policy for the fiscal year 2082/83. The province also aims to create employment opportunities for 100,000 youth under the slogan “Skill in every hand, employment in every home, skilled youth, the foundation of a prosperous Madhesh.”
At the federal level, the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) (First Amendment) Bill, 2083, is currently under discussion in the House of Representatives, with lawmakers proposing amendments to make it more effective.
Authorities have not yet released information regarding any legal action taken against the brick kiln operators or details about how the laborers were initially ensnared. Further details on the specific exploitation they faced, when they will return home, or if any arrests have been made in connection with human trafficking are also not available at this time.
