Shillong, June 30: A youth from Meghalaya, who was abducted two months ago and held captive in Bangladesh, only to be rescued by Bangladeshi police in May, is yet to return home.
Dajied Syiemlieh, 18, from Umthied-Bynther village in West Khasi Hills, was abducted by six suspected Bangladeshi nationals from a coal depot at Nongjri village on April 27. He worked as a helper of an earthmover at the depot owned by Kynsai Dkhar, from where he was abducted for ransom.
Nongjri is around 80km from Mawkyrwat, the district headquarters of South West Khasi Hills, about one hour on foot from the international border with Bangladesh. Mawkyrwat is around 76km from here.
According to South West Khasi Hills district superintendent of police H.G. Lyngdoh, the abductors had planned to kidnap a manager but since they could not get him, they abducted Syiemlieh mistaking him for the brother of the manager they were looking for.
Syiemlieh was rescued by Bangladeshi police from Sherpur district in central Bangladesh on May 15.
Today, Syiemlieh's father Rejoicing Basaiawmoit and his uncle Donald Syiemlieh apprised home minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh here about the delay in his return and sought the government's intervention in the matter.
"The authorities have told us that he (Syiemlieh) is in safe custody in Dhaka, after Bangladeshi police rescued him from Sherpur district on May 15. But we are very concerned, since my son has not returned home till now though he has been rescued more than a month ago," Basaiawmoit said.
Donald said Meghalaya police officials, during the meeting with Lyngdoh, said they had taken up the matter with the deputy high commission of Bangladesh in Guwahati, Kazi Muntashir Murshed.
"The state government told us that a letter was sent to Murshed on the need to speed up the process of handing over of Syiemlieh to India. We are hopeful that he would return soon," Donald said.
He said according to information shared by Bangladeshi officials and their Indian counterparts, Syiemlieh has been taken to Dhaka for a transit visa to return to India. Meghalaya shares a 443-km border with Bangladesh.
