The Dhaka Times Desk Eating in one country and working in another country. A repeat of such an incident. The 65-year-old Rezaul Mondal is a citizen of India on paper. But his kitchen is in India, but the bedroom is in Bangladesh!
The name of the place is Boyra Uttarpara. It is a village in North Twenty-four Parganas district of West Bengal, India. A resident of this village, his name is Rezaul Mandal. The 65-year-old man is a citizen of India on paper. But his bedroom is in Bangladesh. On the other hand, his kitchen is in India.
It is a surprising but true fact. Local people know him as a citizen of 'Bangladesh-India'. He was identified as a resident of 39/11 S Pillar by the Bangladesh-India Border Guard Force. Many families were separated due to the partition of the country in 1947. Their permanent address changes. But Rezaul Mandal's experience is quite different.
Another story has come out in a report of Online Two Circles.net. Bangladesh-India border divides his home. Rezaul Mandal was actually born in India. His father and his father's grandfather were born in what is now India. According to Rezaul Mandal, their family was upper class in the village. But due to the partition of the country, most of their land properties became vacant. Rezaul owns only 16 bigha of land now. Half of it fell in India and half fell in Bangladesh. And because of that, Rezaul has to pay tax in both Bangladesh and India.
Rezaul cultivated the land in Bangladesh and took the crops to India. However, for this reason, he has to face various checkups by the border guards of the two countries constantly. But now the behavior of the border guards is more harsh, said Rezaul. Due to which he often cannot take the crops of his land back to the country. He also has no right to free movement on his own land. He had to face many hardships to cross the border fence. Before entering Bangladesh he has to submit his voter ID card to the BSF check post staff. On the other side of North Boyra village is Gandadaharpur village of Bangladesh. The name of Rezaul Mandal is also mentioned as a resident in the records of this village of Chowagacha Upazila of Jessore District, Bangladesh. Rezaul said that he has his address as a resident because of paying rent here.
What Rezaul Mandal says describing his divided home is that every survey has divided his home into two countries. This is why currently his bedroom is in Bangladesh but his kitchen is in India. Paddy drying yards and cowsheds have fallen in India.
Rezaul said that he is not even allowed to rebuild his house. 60 families live in North Boyra village. Out of this only the house of Rezaul Mandal falls within the right of boundary line. However, Rezaul has no complaint in all these sufferings. He is quite happy with his life. He has 4 sons - Yarul, Amirul, Habibur and Hafizur. 2 daughters Margina and Selina. Younger son Hafizur Rahman has joined the West Bengal Police. None of the family have any plans to migrate to Bangladesh.
Rezaul Mandal's wife Aleya Mandal told reporters, we are living here peacefully. We have no plans to live permanently in Bangladesh. Rezaul Mondal also has many memories of living as a half citizen of India and Pakistan. But still his citizenship is divided. He is now half Bangladeshi and half Indian. And so Rezaul Mondal himself thinks that he is and will be a symbol of the brotherhood of the two neighboring countries.
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