Missing rickshaw puller of Mangaldai languishing in Bangladesh jail despite completing his jail term

Our Correspondent

MANGALDAI: A missing rickshaw puller of Mangaldai has been traced inside a jail in Bangladesh. The whereabouts of this missing man came to light following a letter issued by the Deputy High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh. Indian Deputy High Commissioner at Dhaka, Biswadip Dey vide letter no. DAC/CONS/411/03/2019 dated May 5, 2019, informed the Principal Secretary of Home and Political Department with a copy to the Chief Secretary of Assam and the Deputy Commissioner of Darrang that one Mukul Hazarika, son of Phuleswar Hazarika of village Hodapara under Mangaldai Police Station in Darrang district was lodged in Feni Jail in Bangladesh even after completion of his jail term. Significantly, in the letter, it was mentioned that due to no response from the State government regarding his nationality verification, he has been languishing in Bangladesh jail though he has completed his jail term. However, no details regarding his offence or period of conviction were mentioned in the letter.

The Deputy Commissioner of Darrang, immediately on receipt of the letter on May 7, has asked the police for verifying about the person lodged in Bangladesh jail. Darrang Superintendent of Police Amrit Bhuyan has already initiated steps for proper police verification as sought by the Deputy High Commissioner of India at Dhaka.

Talking to The Sentinel, Phuleswar Hazarika, the father of Mukul Hazarika, said that his only son Mukul Hazarika went missing three years ago and a missing entry was also lodged in Mangaldai Police Station. “My son aged about 40 years was earning his livelihood as a rickshaw puller in Janaramchowka area and on that day (the day he went missing) he had gone to Janaram Chowka on my bicycle and since then he has been missing with the bicycle,” said Phuleswar Hazarika – a poor villager earning his bread and butter by renting out his small sound system. Mukul Hazarika married with Kanchan Hazarika and is also the father of three sons. However, the family members have ruled out any possibility of the involvement of Mukul Hazarika with any militant outfit and disclosed that he was suffering from mental illness. The family members also could not understand how he landed in Bangladesh. Mukul did not go to school after Class VI.

Though the hapless family members have expressed their joy to receive information about the whereabouts of Mukul Hazarika, at the same time they have expressed their deep concern and inability to go to Bangladesh to receive Mukul Hazarika. They have appealed to the district administration and the State Government to bring him back to India.

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