Missing for eight months, Shahjahan Ali reunited with family after fingerprint identification in Sherpur
Md Shahjahan Ali (70), a mentally unbalanced man who went missing nearly eight months ago, has finally been reunited with his family. On Saturday noon, the elderly man was handed over to his relatives with the help of the Sherpur district office of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).
Shahjahan Ali's home is in Gandhail village of Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj. He lived in Dhaka with his wife and son. Nearly eight months ago he went missing from his son's rented house near the Baroipara Ulusia Mosque area under Ashulia police station in Dhaka.
The family filed a general diary (GD) at Ashulia police station over the disappearance and also sought information by posting his photo on social media. But no trace of him was found for a long time, and at one stage his relatives had almost given up hope of getting him back.
On the night of March 23, at around 12:30am, local people found an elderly man lying ill at Digharpara in Sherpur Sadar upazila. He could not state his name or identity.
On hearing the news, Robiul Islam, president of the volunteer organisation Ajker Tarunno, went there. With the help of local people he rescued the man, admitted him to the 250-bed Sherpur District Sadar Hospital and arranged his treatment.
The volunteers spread the man's photo on social media to try to identify him, but without success. After about a month in hospital he recovered somewhat and began wandering around Sherpur town, living as a homeless man. The organisation kept an eye on his movements and continued searching for his family.
On Friday evening, Robiul Islam and several members of the organisation took the man to the PBI's Sherpur district office. There, PBI members collected his fingerprints and identified him: his name is Md Shahjahan Ali, his father's name is Munzil Sheikh and his mother's name is Aziron Khatun.
PBI members then contacted Shahjahan Ali's family through various channels. On Saturday his son Md Jabed Ali and grandson-in-law Md Sumon Mia came to the PBI's Sherpur district office. After verifying the necessary information and evidence, Shahjahan Ali was handed over to his son.
Overcome with emotion at getting his father back, son Jabed Ali said: 'Not finding our father, we had almost given up hope. Suddenly, getting the PBI's phone call reassured us. We are very happy to have our father back. We are grateful to the members of the volunteer organisation and to the PBI for this.'
Robiul Islam, president of the volunteer organisation Ajker Tarunno, said the family of Shahjahan Ali could not be traced for a long time after he was rescued. Later, with the PBI's cooperation, they were happy to find his relatives and hand him over to his family.
Pankaj Dutta, superintendent of police of the PBI's Sherpur district, said that alongside regular case investigations they also assist in various humanitarian work. Using technology, the man's identity was first established, and then his relatives were traced and he was returned to his family.
