Teary goodbye, hearty welcome

It was not excitement that you saw on their faces when they reached the zero point on the Burimari border in Lalmonirhat. There was a pall of gloom cast over everybody instead. Many could not hold their tears back thinking, perhaps, about the life they were leaving behind.

Sixty seven former enclave dwellers in the first batch crossed this border into India in the early afternoon yesterday, our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports.

Of them, 64 were from Gotamari and Uttar Gotamari, the former enclaves under Hatibandha upazila, and three from former Latamari enclave under Patgram upazila. The first batch was comprised of 18 children, 30 women and 17 men.

They were given a warm reception with a band party by the Indian authorities at Chengrabanda point on the Indian side.

Gopal Chandra Barman, 32, was an inhabitant of Gotamari. He said, “We felt very sad to say goodbye to our native village and our neighbours, but we had to."

“We're born here and we got so much love from the people here, but now we are going to India forever,” he said, adding he would never forget his native village Gotamari.

Gayetri Rani Barman, 26, from the same area, said the hardest thing was to say goodbye to her relatives and friends and well-wishers. “I don't know when and how I will meet my relatives in Bangladesh again, but I felt I met them for the last time yesterday,” she said.

Officials, who are working closely with the transfer process, said all 979 enclave dwellers would leave for India by November 26 as the authorities of the two neighbouring countries made arrangements in that way.

One hundred and seventy seven people from 31 families will go to India in the second batch on 23 November, 149 people from 29 families in the third batch on 24 November, and 108 people from 23 families in the fourth batch on 26 November.

Melancholy prevails over the former enclave people in Panchagarh as they have opted to be Indian nationals. They have completed all preparation to leave forever, our Thakurgaon correspondent reports after visiting the area.

Upendranath Roy, 39, son of late Rajendranath Roy, of Nazirganj village (former enclave) under Boda upazila in Panchagarh, will leave with his wife, two sons and his only daughter. 

He told this correspondent that he had visited India to see the place at Haldibari Krishi Farm in Coachbihar district in West Bengal, where the Indian government "has set up tin-roofed houses for their living." 

Additional District Magistrate Golam Azam told this correspondent over the phone that a total of 487 people from 98 families of 36 former Indian enclaves in Panchagarh districts had opted to be Indian nationals and travel passes were given to them by the Indian authorities.   

Sohel Maruf, Nejarat deputy collector (NDC) and executive magistrate, said, "No one would be forced to leave the country and anyone can change his/her mind even if they were already enlisted to go to India."

Our Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Thakurgaon correspondents contributed to this story.