Agartala: As many as five Bangladeshi nationals who had entered Indian territory were reunited with their family members at Akhaura integrated check post located at the Indo-Bangla border in Tripura’s capital Agartala on Friday.
The five people received prolonged treatment at the Modern Psychiatric Hospital located on the outskirts of Agartala city, said Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner Arif Mohammad.
All the persons who returned to their country were not mentally stable enough to reveal their whereabouts in the beginning, when they entered India.
Subsequently, they received treatment for about seven to eight years in the Modern Psychiatric Hospital medical facility for mental health in Tripura. When their health improved to a point where they could identify their family members, villages and identity initiatives reunited them with their family members.
“I am very thankful to the government of Tripura as well as the Government of India for making all-out efforts to ensure their safe return. Often, we get informed of people detained by law enforcement agencies who are not stable enough mentally to remember their address and village. In this case, followed by court order, these five patients underwent treatment at a psychiatric clinic in Agartala. After their health improves and they start to recall their family members and the place they hail from, we are informed,” said Arif Mohammad.
According to Arif Mohammad, after a long verification and paperwork, the repatriation process finally concluded with the help of both governments.
“In this case, we send the information to our government, and if confirmed that the person belongs to Bangladesh, we intimate the issue to the government of Tripura, which takes up the issue with the ministry of external affairs for the necessary clearances. Among the five persons who are being repatriated today, two were found in 2018 and the rest of the others were found in 2015,” he said.
State Programme Officer, National Mental Health Mission, Tripura, Dr Udayan Majumder said, “Five patients have been discharged and sent back to Bangladesh. The group consists of three female and two male patients. We hope in the days to come, 10 to 15 more patients will be repatriated once they are proven as Bangladeshi nationals. They are claiming that they are from Bangladesh but without concrete proof and confirmation from Bangladesh nothing could be done at this stage.”
All the patients after being handed over to their custodians were also directed to take proper medical treatment on reaching home. “We have told the patients’ parties to make sure that within seven days, they visit the nearest psychiatric medical facility for treatment. For the intervening period, medicines have been provided from our end,” said Majumder.
Jahangir Hossain, who reached the borders to receive his younger brother Bijoy Chunu, explained that six years ago, his brother went missing from his house and did not return. “I am very happy to see him alive,” said Jahangir, who failed to hold his tears on seeing his brother lying on a stretcher after six long years. He said, “We tried a lot but could not trace him. A few weeks back, officials of one NGO turned up at our house and arranged a virtual meeting with him.”
The five persons who were repatriated are Santosh Deb from Chattagram, Bijoy Chunu from Narayanganj, Moina Begum from Manikgonj, and Rogina Begum from Patuakhali, Kulsum Begum from Cumilla.
In the last three years, 15 patients have been sent back through Akhaura borders. However, this process was halted due to the outbreak of the global pandemic, Arif Mohammed added.