Man back from the dead after 23 years in Bangladesh

A man given up for dead shocked his family by returning to his home village in Bangladesh after 23 years.

Relatives had given up on ever seeing Moslemuddin Sarkar again until he returned home for the first time since 1989.

Sarkar had been in prison in Pakaistan for the last 15 years and was helped home by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Hundreds of well-wishers lined the streets of Bishnurampur village, in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district, to catch a glimpse of him and congratulate his tearful and jubilant family.

In a telephone interview, Sarkar revealed he had entered India without valid documents in 1989 without informing his family.

He was then caught as he tried to cross into Pakistan in 1997 where he was jailed for trying to enter the country illegally.

"I requested that embassy officials send me back to Bangladesh but no one listened to me," he told the BBC.

"I suffered a lot in the prison and was crying for help. But no-one came to my rescue. Still I don't understand why I was kept in jail for such a long time. At last, I am back with my family and I feel great."

Julhas Uddin, Mr Sarkar's younger brother, said their mother "passed out as he hugged her" after returning to his home village.

"It was a heartbreaking scene. He could not control his tears for hours," he said.

AP