Jalpaiguri: Bangladeshi citizen Heena Khatun (name changed to protect her identity), who was mentally unstable, had left home a decade back and crossed over to the Indian side of the international border. She was treated at a home for those in distress at Birpara in the Alipuduar district of West Bengal and fully regained her memory.
But the ongoing turmoil in India's eastern neighbour left her restive as clouds of uncertainty hovered over her repatriation. The district administration is leaving no stone unturned to provide her with a safe passage to Bangladesh.
It is learnt that after her initial arrival in India, Heena wandered for three years and some local women of Birpara took her to the shelter where she has been undergoing treatment for seven years. Gradually she started responding to the treatment and got her memory back.
"Heena hails from Hussainpur in Comilla district of Bangladesh. She was taken to use by a woman of Madarihat seven years ago. She was treated here for seven years and was gradually able to recall her whereabouts. She told her name, address and other details. We were concerned about keeping a Bangladeshi national in our facility and approached the additional superintendent of police, Alipurduar, for help," Saju Talukdar, the owner of the facility, said.
"Police got in touch with the district administration and Bangladesh government. Subsequently, it was learnt that Heena has eight siblings and her mother died a few years ago. The family thought Heena might have died. Finally, police established a connection with them and sent a communique to the Bangladesh government for her repatriation," Talukfar added.
After regaining memory, Heena is adamant about going back to her family but has been apprised of the current situation her nation is going through and told that it was immediately not possible to repatriate her. However, she has not been informed about the death of his mother and the bedridden father.
"Her mother is no more and her father is bedridden. One of her brothers has also passed away. But this information has been kept secret. How she came here is still unknown and she often laments about her return. Somehow she has been pacified after hearing about the current situation of the country," Talukdar said.
"The information about Heena's family was gathered before the situation worsened in Bangladesh. We have informed the External Affairs Ministry about it as the infiltration issue needs to be factored in. Deliberations between the two countries about her repatriation were on track but were eventually derailed by the chaos in Bangladesh. But we are trying our level best to unite her with the family," the Alipurduar district administration said.
"We never imagined that my sister is alive and in good health at the facility of Saju Talukdar. We are also trying to bring her back and got in touch with Indian authorities by sending the necessary papers. The legal quagmire has entangled the whole process and it remains to be seen whether India can send her back safely. Talukdar has helped us a lot," Heena's brother said over the phone.
But it's difficult to say exactly when will Heena step into her motherland as it is completely dependent on the Indo-Bangla bilateral relations which went to its nadir in in recent times. Only time can say how the diplomatic relationship will impact Heena's homecoming.
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