Elderly man stranded in Jamalpur no-man’s land identified

The identity of the elderly man stranded in no-man’s land along the Bangladesh-India border in Ramrampur of Jamalpur’s Bakshiganj has been confirmed.

According to Bakshiganj Police chief Md Makbul Hossain, family members contacted Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after the man's photograph was widely circulated in media outlets and on social media, enabling authorities to verify his identity.

The man has been identified as Shashti Chandra Barman, 68, of Chandlai village in Godagari Upazila, Rajshahi.

The police officer said after being stranded for nearly 24 hours in the no-man’s land in front of International Border Pillar No. 1082, Shashti Chandra was rescued by the BGB on Thursday morning.

He is currently at Bakshiganj Police Station. Following the completion of legal procedures, he will be handed over to his family.

Earlier, on Wednesday morning, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) allegedly attempted to push the elderly man into Bangladesh through the Ramrampur border.

When BGB personnel and local residents objected, the BSF reportedly left him in the no-man’s land between the two countries.

Subsequently, a flag meeting was held between the BGB and BSF, but no resolution was reached. Amid rising tensions throughout the day, residents from both sides of the border reportedly threw brickbats at each other across the barbed-wire fence around 5pm.

Local residents had initially claimed that the elderly man was a resident of Chennai, India.

However, after he remained in the no-man’s land for an extended period, authorities confirmed on Thursday that he is a Bangladeshi citizen and rescued him.

Officer Makbul said, “We have obtained the elderly man’s National Identity Card. Once his relatives arrive, we will scrutinise the information and hand him over to his family through proper legal channels.”