Indian national Ramdev Mahato, who was sentenced to six months in prison for illegal entry into Bangladesh, had to serve the sentence for over six years. After a prolonged detention, he has finally returned to his home country with the assistance of Bangladeshi journalist and human rights activist Shamsul Huda.
The 60-year-old Ramdev was sentenced on November 29, 2018, for illegally crossing the Chapainawabganj border. Although his six-month sentence ended on May 29, 2019, he remained in prison due to complications arising from the lack of verified address details. Finally, on Monday noon, he was handed over to Indian authorities at Sonamasjid land port.
Ramdev Mahato hails from Gudra village under Majhuriya police station in West Champaran district, Bihar, India, and is the son of the late Tapa Mahato. The handover took place at the zero point of the land port in the presence of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF).
Also present were his son Sunil Mahato, village panchayat head Lal Baccha Yadav, police officials from both countries, prison representatives, and journalist and human rights activist Shamsul Huda, who facilitated Ramdev’s return.
Authorities at Chapainawabganj prison said that the repatriation could not be processed earlier as Ramdev’s correct address was unverified. Due to similar complications, several other Indian nationals are still awaiting repatriation, as their addresses and family details have not been confirmed.
Shamsul Huda said that in October last year, after learning about Ramdev’s case, he traced his identity through digital means and informed the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. After verifying his family through photographs, Sunil Mahato confirmed that his father was in a Bangladeshi prison. “We had thought he might have passed away. He was also somewhat mentally unstable,” Sunil said.
Huda further added that it is extremely inhumane for a person to remain in prison for over six years despite completing his sentence, separated from his family. Out of humanitarian concern, over the past four years, he has helped repatriate 10 to 12 Indian citizens from Bangladeshi prisons and also assisted four trafficked Bangladeshi women in returning home.
