As the Border Guard of Bangladesh caught Manik Debnath, 28, a mentally-challenged Indian boy, on 11 March this year, his father, Binad Debnath, a carpenter, is running from pillar to post in administrative buildings in the district headquarters to have his son released.

However, allegedly no department was able to help him in freeing his son from Bangladesh custody.

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Later, the Child Welfare Committee of South Dinajpur assured him that they would bring back his child from Bangladesh.

Mr Debnath said his son went missing and that he looked for him everywhere in the local area and also informed his relatives, but “no one helped me.” Later, local people at the Ghasuriya border said that Manik had crossed the international border and gone almost 40 meters inside Bangladesh territory on a motorcycle and that personnel of the Border Guard of Bangladesh arrested him.

Following this piece of information, Mr Debnath has been trying to look for someone who would communicate with his son. Later, he said he communicated with local BSF officers in the Ghasuriya border, while they confirmed the arrest and informed him that his son was at the Dinajpur correctional home in the Bangladesh side.

“On 11 March, my son forcefully took money from his mother and purchased a lot of vegetables from the local market. After lunch, he dressed up and set out on his motorcycle. We thought he was going to our relatives’ house, but after around 24 hours when he did not return home, we started searching for him, but could not find him. Later, the BSF informed me that my son was in Bangladesh,” said Mr Debnath.

“We hail from a remote village, and we do not have links with officers, while the local police and the BSF could not help me in this issue. So now I am seeking help from government offices to release my son. He was under treatment for mental problems,” Mr Debnath added.

A member of the Child Welfare Committee and district coordinator of Childline, Suraj Das, said, “We have assured him that we will try to bring back his son from Bangladesh. At first, we will have to confirm as to why the Indian boy was arrested and where he is now. The process has been started and we hope that within a few months, we will be able to release him from Bangladesh custody.”