BSS, Rangpur :
The Amarkhana border in Panchagarh turned into an emotional human sea of love and affection yesterday following reunion of nearly one lakh Bangalee blood-bonded relatives living in Bangladesh and West Bengal.
The five-kilometre long border between boundary pillars 743 and 745 turned joyous for three hours from 11am to 2pm when the Bangalees from either country met relatives from across the barbed-wire fences on the eve of Bangla New Year-1421.
Irrespective of their caste, creed and religion, the
Bangalees from either side of the common international borders rushed there with indescribable human emotion with tears of joy on this auspicious day.
According to official and local sources, the elite people of both sides took the initiative with the assistances of Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in arranging the ‘Human Milan Mela’ as in the pasts.
The relatives waited for the last one year, rushed to Amarkhana border and exchanged well-wishes, greetings, presentations while knowing whereabouts of each-other standing alongside the barbed-wire fences.
Aswini Kumar, 78, of Panchagarh burst into tears of joy while talking from across the barbed-wire fences to his daughter Malbika Rani, 47, Monica Rani, 44, of Bhimvita area in Jalpaiguri district after many years.
Abdus Sobhan, 68, Solaiman, 64, Azizul Haque, 63, of Jalpaiguri came there to meet their relatives Jomsher Ali, 55, Ansarul Haque, 66, and Sonali Begum, 49, of Panchagarh and presented gifts among each other.
Sukumar, 66, Niloy Chandra, 58, Afzal, 60, Samir Kumar, 42, and Basonti, 48, of Jalpaiguri met their relatives Narayan, 55, Samir Chandra, 59, Ishahaque, 52, Somoresh, 66, Sakuntola, 32, and Kali Pado, 56, of Panchagarh amid emotions.
Neeleswari Rani, 72, came from village Gobinda Guru of Panchagarh and met her daughter Basonti, 42, living in Jalpaiguri when both of them burst into tears of joy and happiness.
Komela Khatun, 67, came from Haldibari in Jalpaiguri district to meet her brother Rafikul Islam, 58, of Panchagarh and they became speechless with emotion.
Talking to journalists from other side of barbed-wire fences, Jalpaiguri district unit General Secretary of Trinomul Congress Abdus Sattar said the emotional reunion once again proved that nothing can detach human being from blood-bondage and love.
He thanked the BGB and BSF authorities for their supports in arranging the human event and called upon authorities of both countries for continuation of the process so that the relatives of either country could meet their nearer and dearer every year.
The event enabled tens of thousands of the relatives living in either country to meet their nearer and dear ones as many of they do not have their economical capabilities to avail passport or visa, he added.
Operation Officer of Panchagarh 18 BGB Battalion Major ATM Nazmul Huda and Khalapara BSF Company Commander of AS Shikhawat said they allowed the meet on humanitarian ground at the request of people living in either side of border.
