After 45 long years, 70-year-old Isak Mia has finally been reunited with his family, following years of hardship caused by a fraudulent broker that destroyed his dreams of going abroad.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Kumarakhali Upazila administration handed over Isak to his nephew and grandnephew. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farzana Akhtar and Inspector (Investigation) Amirul Islam were present along with local residents.
Isak Mia, the youngest son of the late Sadu Mia of Laxmipur village in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria, had sold two bighas of cropland and 40 per cent of his homestead for Tk 75,000 to travel to London in the 1980s.
However, he was deceived by a broker in Sylhet, losing all his property and suffering a breakdown. Shamed and heartbroken, he never returned home, spending decades wandering through various railway stations and roads across Bangladesh.
Recently, Isak was found in poor health at Kumarakhali railway station, where locals provided medical care and food. A video report of him shared on Facebook eventually reached his family, leading to his identification and reunion.
At the station, a frail Isak lay exhausted. His nephew Bachchu Mia said that of seven siblings, Isak is the only surviving uncle. Another grandnephew, Taher Mia, expressed joy at seeing him, while Sajahan Mia said, “We identified him through the online video. No one remains at his house, so we will care for him.”
Speaking in a broken voice, Isak said, “I sold my property in Sylhet to go abroad, but the broker cheated me. I wandered like a madman all these years. Today my nephews have come to take me home. I feel so happy.”
UNO Farzana Akhtar said, “After thorough verification, Isak has been returned to his family. It is a moment of great joy that he has finally returned home after 45 years.”
