7 years a slave: Bangladeshi boy set to meet mother | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

7 years a slave: Bangladeshi boy set to meet mother

ByFaizan Haider
Sep 18, 2016 08:44 AM IST

NEW DELHI: In the last seven years, Aman* has worked on farms, in dhabas and tent houses across five cities in the country. A victim of child trafficking, his records show him as a resident of Assam but the 16-year-old is originally from Bangladesh, a fact he never disclosed to anyone until he met Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi at a shelter home in Delhi last month.

HT Image
HT Image

Tortured and addicted to drugs during his ordeal, Aman had lost hope of seeing his family again. But thanks to the efforts of Satyarthi’s NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, he is set to return home next week. “This is our Eid gift to him,” says Satyarthi.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The NGO rescued Aman and 14 other children from the Old Delhi railway station in July and since then he has been living at Mukti Ashram in north Delhi’s Burari.

“When I visited the ashram in August, Aman noticed me counselling two boys who were brought back after an escape attempt. I told him I can make arrangements if he wanted to leave the home. He told me that he still won’t be able to see his parents,” says Satyarthi. “He was a drug addict. So I thought he didn’t want to face his parents. But when I talked to him some more, he admitted he was from Bangladesh.”

Satyarthi made a few calls to the Bangladesh High Commission, which helped in tracing Aman’s family. And for the first time in years, the boy spoke to his family. “I had lost hope of meeting my family... I was tortured wherever I went,” says Aman. He is eagerly waiting to meet his mother now.

*Name changed to protect identity

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On