MEA Steps In to Bring Back Mortal Remains of Kashmiri Student Who Died in Bangladesh
By : Alia Kashmiri
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has initiated steps to facilitate the repatriation of the mortal remains of a Kashmiri student who reportedly died in a drowning incident in Bangladesh, following urgent intervention by the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s Office. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Adnan Altaf, a student of Eastern Medical College in Bangladesh, reportedly died in the incident. His family had approached the Chief Minister’s Public Services and Outreach Office (Raabita), seeking government assistance to bring his mortal remains back to Jammu and Kashmir.
Official correspondence accessed by KNS reveals that the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong is closely monitoring the matter and coordinating with the bereaved family to facilitate the repatriation process at the earliest.
In an email dated November 5, the Bangladesh-Myanmar Division of the Ministry of External Affairs informed the Jammu and Kashmir Resident Commission in New Delhi that the Indian mission was extending all necessary assistance to the family.
The MEA communication stated that the Assistant High Commission in Chittagong was in touch with the deceased student’s family and closely monitoring the situation.
It further confirmed that the Indian mission was providing necessary support and facilitation to ensure the mortal remains of late Adnan Altaf were brought back at the earliest.
The intervention followed a formal request made by the Jammu and Kashmir Resident Commission to the Ministry of External Affairs on November 5, seeking urgent diplomatic assistance with the authorities in Bangladesh.
According to official documents, the matter was initially brought to the attention of the Chief Minister’s Public Services and Outreach Office by Mohd Akbar Dar, a resident of Botingoo in Sopore area of Baramulla district.
In a communication dated November 4, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat informed the Resident Commissioner that Adnan Altaf, who was pursuing his studies at Eastern Medical College in Bangladesh, had died in a drowning incident.
The family had approached the Chief Minister’s outreach office, requesting government intervention for the early return of his mortal remains.
The communication, issued by Under Secretary Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone, JKAS, requested the Resident Commissioner to take up the matter with the concerned authorities for immediate action. The case was prominently marked “MOST URGENT”, highlighting the need for swift intervention.
Acting on the request, the Jammu and Kashmir Resident Commission forwarded the correspondence and supporting documents to the Additional Secretary of the Bangladesh-Myanmar Division in the Ministry of External Affairs on November 5.
The Resident Commission urged the ministry to take up the matter with the relevant authorities in Bangladesh and facilitate the early repatriation of the mortal remains. A copy of the communication was also sent to the Private Secretary to the Chief Minister for information.
Responding later the same day, the MEA confirmed that the Assistant High Commission in Chittagong was already in contact with the family and extending the necessary assistance.
The sequence of official communications indicates that the Chief Minister’s outreach office took up the matter on November 4, followed by a formal referral to the Ministry of External Affairs on November 5. The ministry subsequently confirmed the Indian mission’s intervention.
However, the official correspondence does not specify the expected date of arrival of the mortal remains in Jammu and Kashmir or whether all repatriation formalities have been completed.
The exact circumstances surrounding the drowning incident have also not been detailed in the communications.
The MEA has assured that the Indian mission in Bangladesh is extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family to facilitate the repatriation process at the earliest.
