Bangladeshi woman reunited with family after 40 years

The Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s missing persons project, ‘Mera Pyara’, has traced the family of a Bangladeshi woman, who had been separated from her relatives for 40 years, locating her son and nephew in Bangladesh.

According to the authority, Halima, who belongs to Bangladesh, was found in an abandoned condition in Islamabad in 2013. Unable to speak Urdu, she could not provide complete information about her identity, hometown or family. She was shifted to an Edhi Centre for temporary shelter and care, where she had been living for several years.

The authority said that the Mera Pyara team began searching for her family on the basis of the limited information she provided. The team continued contacting people through social media, local administration and other available sources, gradually expanding the search to Bangladesh.

With the help of the names of her family members and the village she identified as her hometown, the team eventually traced her son and nephew in Bangladesh. The information was subsequently verified through contacts with local authorities and her relatives, the authority said.

The Punjab Safe Cities Authority said its Mera Pyara project is working to reunite people separated from their families across Pakistan and abroad. It added that the team had earlier traced the family of another Bangladeshi woman, Kohinoor, who had also been separated from her relatives for 40 years.

A spokesperson for the authority said the team was committed to serving humanity beyond borders and reuniting separated people with their families.

The spokesperson urged citizens to report any missing or abandoned person by calling Punjab’s emergency helpline 15 and pressing 3 for the Mera Pyara service, enabling the authorities to take timely action.