Jorhat, Oct 25: A man from Assam’s Jorhat district, who reportedly went missing nearly four decades ago, has been found at a railway station in Bangladesh, bringing an unexpected turn to a family’s long-unanswered questions about his disappearance.
Identified as Krishna Bahadur Chetry, the man was found at Chapai Nawabganj railway station, where he had reportedly been staying for a prolonged period.
Local residents who noticed his presence tried to establish his identity. He is said to have written his name, his father’s name, Dil Bahadur Chetry, and his address on a piece of paper.
The address pointed to Garmur Itakhuli village in Jorhat district, Assam, leading to the discovery of his family connections.
For relatives in Jorhat, the news has brought shock and uncertainty. They said Chetry disappeared when they were young, leaving them with little knowledge of what had happened to him or where he had gone.
“It’s been 40 years since he went missing. We were small then. He doesn’t own any land here now. He had land earlier, but his elder brother sold it, and the elder brother has also passed away,” a family member said.
The relative said the family had heard only that Chetry had left, without knowing the circumstances of his disappearance.
“I got shocked when I saw the news. We had only heard that he left, but we don’t know where he went or how things happened. My father’s name was written as Dil Bahadur Chetry. We were not even born then, only heard that he went missing. Because my father’s name is written, people are asking us about him,” the relative said.
The family has since lost several members. Chetry’s parents and siblings have died, while the family’s ancestral house and land are no longer with them.
Only distant relatives remain in Itakhuli, making the prospect of his return emotionally significant but practically difficult.
The relative said Chetry would be their elder cousin by relation and recalled that their father had one son and six daughters. Chetry’s younger brother and elder sister have also passed away, with his sister dying four years ago.
While people in Bangladesh have reportedly been trying to help Chetry return to Assam, his relatives said they lack the financial means to arrange his journey or provide substantial support if he comes back.
“If he wishes to come back, we won’t be able to support him because we are ourselves managing with limited means,” the relative said.
After nearly 40 years apart, the discovery has reopened a chapter the family knew little about. But with his close relatives gone and the family struggling financially, Chetry’s path back to Assam remains uncertain.