After Spending 37 Yrs in Bangladesh Jails Indian Man Returns to Home in Tripura

Agartala: Shahjahan, a man from Tripura’s Sepahijala district, who spent 37 years in Bangladesh jails, returned to India through the Srimantapur land customs station with the assistance of BSF personnel.

In 1988, Shahjahan from Rabindrangar, a border village in Tripura had gone to his in-law’s house in Comilla, Bangladesh. At that time, Bangladesh police raided his relative’s home and arrested him for illegally entering the country.

At the age of 25, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a court in Comilla. Even after end of his sentence, he was not released. He spent another 26 years in different jails in Bangladesh before being allowed to return to India.

He received a spark of hope when his plight attracted the attention of the Zara Foundation, helping immigrants become trapped in foreign countries.

Following numerous legal proceedings through the support of the Zara Foundation, Shahjahan was finally handed over to BSF personnel at Srimantapur LCS on Tuesday.

He is now 62 years old. He left home when he was young and his wife was pregnant. His son saw him for the first time after his return.

He also said that he endured brutal torture during his initial 14 days in police custody.