Tripura: Man Returns After Spending 37 Years Inside Bangladesh Jail

Tripura: 62-year-old Shahjahan, a resident of Rabindrangar, a border village in Sonamura subdivision, had gone to his in-law's house in Comilla, Bangladesh, in 1988.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 21 August 2024 5:50 pm

Tripura man returns after spending 37 years inside Bangladesh jail.(Representational image) | Photo: PTI

After spending over more than three decades inside a jail in Bangladesh, Tripura man has returned back home finally.

The man hails from the state’s Sepahijala district and was inside Bangladesh jail for 37 years, reports said.

Shahjahan returned to India through the Srimantapur land customs station with the assistance of BSF personnel, PTI reported.

Shahjahan, a resident of Rabindrangar, a border village in Sonamura subdivision, had gone to his in-law's house in Comilla, Bangladesh, in 1988, it said.

The single punch was so powerful that it knocked the officer unconscious "for at least a minute" and caused him to suffer temporary memory loss, according to a report by TODAY newspaper. - File representative pic

Indian-Origin Man Sentenced To Jail For Punching Singapore Police Officer

BY Associated Press

During his visit, police raided his relative’s home and arrested him for illegally entering the neighbouring country, the report added.

"At the age of 25, I was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a court in Comilla. Despite completing my sentence, I was not released and spent an additional 26 years in custody, totaling 37 years before I was allowed to return home," Shahjahan told PTI.

The report said the injustice faced by Shahjahan came to light a few months ago through media reports.

Shahjahan’s plight attracted the attention of the Zara Foundation, an organisation dedicated to helping immigrants who become trapped in foreign countries, the report mentioned.

Following numerous legal proceedings, Shahjahan was finally handed over to BSF personnel at Srimantapur LCS on Tuesday, it said.

Now 62 years old, Shahjahan left home when he was young and his wife was pregnant, the report said.

His son saw him for the first time physically upon his return, the report mentioned.

"I can’t express my happiness in words. I feel like I am in heaven. This is like a rebirth for me. I never thought I would return to my birthplace in this lifetime. It is the Zara Foundation that brought me back home. I will remain indebted to the organization for the rest of my life," Shahjahan was quoted as saying.

He also alleged that he endured brutal torture during his initial 14 days in police custody, it mentioned.

"After serving 11 years in Comilla Central Jail, I was transferred to other prisons under false charges and spent an additional 26 years there," he was quoted as saying.