Mother, son return after spending year in B’desh prison for illegal entry

When she left home last February with her son, Jayanti Biswas, 52, had thought it would take her and younger son Pranotosh,23, few days to return. Instead, it took them 15 months.

The mother and son from Khagrabura village in Karimganj district of Assam reached their home on the wee hours of Sunday after spending 15 months in Moulvibazar jail in Bangladesh for illegal entry.

Though their initial sentence was just 30 days, it got extended to over a year due to delays in official paperwork.

It took nearly eight months of efforts by local authorities in Assam, the external affairs ministries of both countries and social activists to help in their return.

Despite having passports Biswas and her son didn’t apply for visas before entering Bangladesh with the help of an agent as they were in a hurry to meet her daughter (married to a Bangladeshi) who was very sick.

“Both of them stayed a few days at her daughter’s place in Brahmanbariya district and were returning back when they were arrested at the border by the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB),” said local BJP MLA from Patharkandi, Krishnendu Paul.

A court sentenced the duo to one month’s jail and fined 1,000 Takas for entering Bangladesh. The sentence was extended by another 10 days after they were unable to pay the fine. The ordeal continued for months as it took time to orders from Dhaka about their release.

Incidentally, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry had ordered their release and 10 other Indians lodged in jails there last August. But the official papers hadn’t reached the Moulvibazar jail till May.

“I took up the matter with Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal who got in touch with external affairs ministry and the Bangladesh government was informed about the prisoners,” said Paul.