Seventeen months after he went missing, Indian border forces have handed over a mentally challenged Bangladeshi youth, identified as Zakir, to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), officials said on Sunday (Sept 7).

During a formal flag meeting between the two border forces, the handover occurred around 6:45 p.m. in the Shingnagar area of Monakasha Union, under Shibganj upazila, Chapainawabganj district.

Zakir, son of Amin Ali from Begpur village in Gomostapur upazila, had been unaccounted for since early 2023. 

Gomostapur police station officer-in-charge (OC) Wadud Alam confirmed that Zakir had been suffering from mental health issues at the time of his disappearance.

The breakthrough came on September 5 when Indian authorities — specifically the Vaishnabpur police outpost and the Border Security Force (BSF) — informed their Bangladeshi counterparts through the BGB that Zakir had been in their custody.

Following this, BGB and police initiated communication with their Indian counterparts, leading to the bilateral flag meeting. 

At the meeting, officials from India’s 71 BSF Battalion and Vaishnabpur police formally transferred Zakir's custody to the BGB and local police from Shibganj.

Lt Col Kazi Mostafizur Rahman, commanding officer of the BGB’s 53rd Battalion, confirmed the transfer. 

He said that after verification of Zakir’s identity and mental health condition, the Indian Shovapur BSF camp and Bangladesh’s Masudpur BOP company commander held a coordinated meeting for the repatriation.

Zakir has since been reunited with his family, who have taken him into their care, according to police officials.

SMS/