Reunited after 22 years
Twenty-two years ago, Ameena Khatun of Bogura's Dhunat upazila went missing. Her three sons and a daughter could not find her and assumed that their mother was no longer alive.
They even mentioned their mother as "deceased" on their voter identity cards.
Fortunately, thanks to the Bangladesh embassy in Nepal and local administration, Ameena was found alive and well in the Himalayan country last May.
A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines brought Ameena, now around 75, back to Dhaka yesterday afternoon.
"She was possibly a victim of human trafficking," the embassy said in a Facebook post.
"Bangladesh embassy in Nepal went through the whole process and bore all expenses to bring her back and reunited the family at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport," Masud Alam, councillor of the embassy, who accompanied Ameena during the journey, told The Daily Star.
"A special chartered flight of Biman, carrying Ameena, departed Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport," AFM Anisur Rahman, Biman's country manager in Nepal, told this correspondent.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Nepal Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, among others, saw Ameena off at the airport. "Ameena's three sons and grandchildren received her at Dhaka airport," said councillor Masud.
Asked how Ameena was found, Masud said on May 30, Mukesh Mehta from Nepal's Sunsari district mentioned in a Facebook post that a Bangladeshi woman was rescued under supervision of Jamuna Gautam Pokhrel, deputy mayor of Sunsari.
Abhinav Chowdhury, chairperson of Nepal-Bangladesh Youth Conclave, and Masud Alam were mentioned in the comments under that post.
The embassy staff at first failed to identify Ameena while talking to her over the phone. Later, on advice of Ambassador Salahuddin, Masud went to Sunsari -- about 450 kilometres from Kathmandu -- on June 1.
Biplob Ghosh, president of Sunsari Bengali community, assisted him during that time. After speaking to Ameena, her identity and names of her family members were confirmed through the efforts of Bogura district's National Security Intelligence (NSI) officials.
Jamuna Pokhrel on August 31 handed Ameena over to Ambassador Salahuddin at a simple ceremony held at the embassy.
It was learnt from locals that Ameena had been living in destitute condition in Sunsari for a long time, the embassy wrote in its Facebook post.
Councillor Masud Alam said, "We are happy to fulfil the government's responsibilities and serve a helpless citizen abroad."
Masud also expressed gratitude to all those who helped find Ameena.
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