A 30 plus years old mentally challenged woman has been languishing at zero-point in Tripura for the last 8 days. BSF-BGB held two rounds of inconclusive meetings
* Tapan Roy
Agartala, April 12, 2020: Under the blazing sun she spends her days and sudden rains drench her in evenings and nights. Left in the cold and discarded by all, a 30 plus years old woman has been languishing at zero-point in Tripura for the last eight days. Bangladesh has disowned her, India has not accepted her and stuck in between the mentally challenged woman lives on the sand bed in the middle of Feni River in no-man’s land along Indo-Bangla Border in Sabroom under South Tripura district – all alone amid eerie silence.
She has been passing her days and nights under the sky exposing her to seasonal rains and storms. Both the BSF and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) are asking the woman to show proof of her nationality – but who will collect or how ‘a mentally challenged’ woman will probe her nationality. As a result, she was not allowed to enter into Tripura or Bangladesh – she remains stuck. Fear of coronavirus and lockdown only complicated the situation for her.
Meanwhile, BSF sources said they had talked to the woman om April 9 and understood that the woman was acquainted with several places of Bangladesh and knew many persons living there. BSF made video recording of their conversation with the woman. Even though she was incoherent, she was talking in local dialects of Dhaka. BSF personnel are expecting humanitarian gesture from Bangladesh side and take back the woman.
Observing the shocking state of woman and her flight, intellectuals of Sabroom are demanding intervention governments of both India and Bangladesh and bring an end to agony of the woman. Litterateur Ashokananda Roy Barman and poet Sanjib Deb highlighted the issue through their social media accounts.
According to sources, the woman attempted to enter Tripura from Bangladesh side on April 2 last. BSF Jawans prevented her from entering into Tripura. But as she tried to return to Bangladesh, people from Bangladesh side started pelting stones at her forcing to take refuge at a sand bed at zero point in the middle of River Feni.
Commandant level meetings were held between BSF and BGB on April 3 and April 7 last, but BGB clearly stated that the woman was not a Bangla citizen, so they would not be able to take her back.
On April 7 and April 9, DIG of BSF, Jamal Ahmed went to Sabroom and inquired about woman. Amidst coronavirus scare and reluctance of Bangladesh authority in taking her back, it remains to be seen as to how long a woman will remain stuck on no-man’s land in helpless condition without any shelter. (Courtesy: Tripura Times)
* Tapan Roy may be contacted at [email protected]
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