In a bittersweet turn of events, Sunali Khatun has returned to her village in West Bengal's Birbhum district on humanitarian grounds due to her advanced pregnancy, but her husband, Danish Sheikh, remains trapped across the border in Bangladesh, separated and anxious.
A Family Divided at the Border
Speaking to the media from temporary accommodation in Chapai Nawabganj, Bangladesh, Danish Sheikh expressed his deep distress. His primary concern is for his wife, Sunali, who returned to Paikar village in Birbhum with their eight-year-old son, Shabir, on Saturday evening after months of detention. "I want to be beside Sunali during childbirth," Danish said on Sunday, his voice filled with worry. He revealed that Sunali was already unwell when she left Bangladesh and he hopes she is receiving proper medical care, having heard she was admitted to Rampurhat hospital.
The ordeal at the border has left the family in confusion and despair. Danish explained that while the Border Security Force (BSF) allowed Sunali to enter India citing specific court orders, he was turned back. "They told me I had none, so I cannot return to India. Bangladeshi officials took all of us to the border but we were stopped," he stated, highlighting the bureaucratic hurdle.
Anguish of a Mother Pleading for Return
Sweety Bibi, who is stranded with Danish and her two young sons, echoed the sentiment. She described the crushing disappointment of being taken to the Malda border only to be turned back. "We were hopeful of reaching home but that hope was crushed. BSF didn't come to receive us," she said. Sweety has made a direct appeal to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool MP Samirul Islam, who assisted in Sunali's return, to help them.
"Please arrange to take us back. I don't even know what my fault is. Why was I sent to Bangladesh, and why is my return still so uncertain?" she asked. Amidst this predicament, the family has found kindness in their Bangladeshi hosts, Farooq Hossain and his wife Mumtaz, who have provided shelter and even warm clothing for the children.
Medical Care and Legal Limbo
Back in India, Sunali Khatun is undergoing treatment at Rampurhat Medical College & Hospital. Doctors have conducted a series of tests, including USG and amniotic fluid checks, and are closely monitoring her unborn child. She has been diagnosed as severely anaemic and requires a blood transfusion. Her daughter, Anisha, reunited after a long separation, refuses to leave her mother's side, camping at the hospital with her grandmother, Jyotsna.
Meanwhile, the legal process grinds on. Danish and Sweety, along with her sons, are likely to be produced before a Bangladesh court on December 23. The Indian apex court will hear their plea on December 12. Authorities in both nations have yet to clarify the next steps, leaving the families in anxious limbo. Sweety, looking to an uncertain future, said if she returns, she wishes to settle permanently in Birbhum and take up local work, adamantly refusing any move to Delhi.
