Ham radio operators help trace family of woman trafficked from Dhaka

Kolkata: Ham radio operators in the state, with assistance from their Bangladeshi counterparts, have located the family of a woman from Dhaka who was allegedly trafficked to Howrah and forced into the flesh trade about four years ago.

The necessary formalities have been initiated to reunite the woman with her family.

On Sunday night, as Cyclone Remal hit the state, the 25-year-old woman took advantage of the hostile weather conditions to escape captivity and managed to walk to Sealdah Station.

She then boarded a Bongaon-bound train and reached a village near Bongaon. There, she encountered two young passersby and sought their help in returning home across the border. The youths took her to a local Panchayat member, who contacted Rudra Prasad Ghosh, a member of the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC) in the area, for assistance. Ghosh narrated the girl’s plight to WBRC general secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas, who then contacted Anup Bhowmick of the Amateur Radio Association of Bangladesh and sent him her picture. Considering that Bangladesh had also been severely affected by Cyclone Remal, tracing her address was a difficult task. However, after much effort, her family members were located in Naraharipur Village under Chaigharia Panchayat on Wednesday.

The woman has reported that she was forcibly drugged day after day and subjected to physical torture.

“We have already used video calling facilities and the woman has spoken with her husband, father and mother.

There are some formalities for sending her home safely as two countries are involved. We hope to complete the same soon and send her home safely,” Jyoti Prakash Mukhopadhyay, executive committee member of WBRC said.