Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has asked External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to help trace Jahanara Begum and Mumtaz Begum, two women from Assam whose families have not established their whereabouts since their removal to Bangladesh in June. India Today NE, NorthEast Now and ANI reported the request on October 3.
Gogoi sought contact with Bangladesh’s authorities, action by Indian diplomatic missions in Dhaka and Sylhet, consular assistance and any necessary travel documents. He also asked for a designated contact to keep the families informed. These are requests for further action, rather than confirmation that either woman has been located.
The earlier legal record matters. In Mumtaz’s case, the Gauhati High Court’s September 3 order found that state authorities had prevented her from effectively challenging a fresh Foreigners Tribunal opinion. It ordered ₹2 lakh in interim compensation for her husband and added the external-affairs ministry to the proceedings so that later directions could address locating and returning her.
Assam authorities defended the removal as lawful. The BSF told the court that it executed the state’s expulsion order and did not determine citizenship. The September order addressed access to legal remedies; it did not finally determine Mumtaz’s citizenship. The reviewed October 3 reports carried no new government response to Gogoi’s request.