Mentally ill woman found in Maharashtra's Gondia reunited with kin in Bangladesh: ‘it was about helping her find herself again'

Indian Express

17-06-2025

A mentally ill woman from Bangladesh's Noakhali, who had been found wandering in a village in Maharashtra's Gondia district last year, was reunited with her family earlier this month following months-long efforts by authorities and social workers in Nagpur.
The woman, who is in her mid-thirties and appeared to be mentally ill, was found by residents of Pujari Tola village in Gondia. They informed the Rawanwadi police which took her into custody on April 30, 2023, according to Shashikiran Nawkar, Assistant Police Inspector, Rawanwadi police station. She was later briefly admitted to the psychiatric ward of a local hospital before being transferred to the Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) in Nagpur.
At RMH, the woman came under the care of Kunda Bidkar, a Samaj Seva Adhikshak (social service superintendent), who proved crucial in the journey back to her identity. 'In the beginning, she didn't speak at all. She would walk out of the ward or sit quietly in corners. But with continued treatment, after about four months, she began to respond in single words,' said Bidkar.
A false lead, then a name
The woman first identified herself as 'Fatona' and spoke a mix of Hindi and an unfamiliar dialect of Bengali. 'She mentioned a place called Bodalkhori, which we located in Madhya Pradesh. We checked with the MP Police, but there was no match,' Bidkar said.
A few months later, more clarity emerged as the woman mentioned that she was from 'Noakhali'. A search indicated that it was a district in southeastern Bangladesh. When shown maps and names of locations from the district, her expressions changed. 'She reacted positively to 'Noakhali' but couldn't recall the village. She only said that there was a Radha Krishna temple near her home,' Bidkar added.
The breakthrough came during a casual visit by Bidkar's son, who used Google Maps and Street View to show her images of temples in the area on his laptop. 'She immediately recognised one of them. She bowed and said she had visited it before. That's how we finally identified her village, Charbata, in Subarnachar upazila of Noakhali,' said Bidkar.
Tracing the family
Even then, the process of tracing her family was far from easy. Calls to officials in Bangladesh yielded no response. Eventually, Bidkar contacted Kolkata-based NGO Iswar Sankalp Foundation. 'Within 15 minutes, they connected with a journalist in Bangladesh who was able to find her family after verifying her brother's name and the temple location,' she said.
The woman's family had assumed that she had died. 'We never imagined she could be in India. It has been over six years,' her family members told Bidkar during a video call.
Meanwhile, Bidkar found out that the woman's mother was battling cancer. With renewed urgency, she reached out to the High Commission in New Delhi and the Deputy Commission in Kolkata. Support also came from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's office, Nagpur Collector Dr Vipin Itankar, and the Gondia police to speed up the paperwork.
On May 13, 2025, the Bangladeshi woman received her travel permit. A small farewell was organised for her at RMH on June 11. Two days later, she was accompanied by a five-member team to the India-Bangladesh border. Her brother was called to receive her. After a brief interview at the border, she was handed over to her brother, who had been waiting there since early morning.
'Didn't want her to disappear into silence again'
Before the handover, the woman's caregivers ensured that her family understood the treatment she was undergoing and the importance of continuing her medication. 'We didn't want her to disappear into silence again,' said Bidkar.
Hospital authorities believe the woman's mental health condition may have worsened due to domestic violence. 'She had been married and reportedly went into depression as she was a victim of domestic violence. We still don't know how she reached India,' Bidkar added. She said Dr Satish Humne, medical superintendent at RMH, offered huge support in helping locate the woman's home.
For Bidkar, the case will remain unforgettable. 'This was not just about finding a home. It was about helping someone find herself again. It took months of work, but she is back where she belongs,' she said. The hospital has helped several patients locate their homes in over 19 states across India.