Kolkata: A 75-year-old man, Mohammad Mustafa from Bihar, found wandering in Bongaon in North 24 Parganas and rescued by police, was reunited with his family with the help of Bengal HAM radio enthusiasts on Saturday afternoon. The elderly man, who was missing for over a decade after developing Alzheimer’s, was identified within hours of his photograph being circulated among amateur radio operators. “Locals found the man wandering on the streets of Bongaon. Police were informed and they ensured his safety and arranged for his medical treatment,” a senior officer of the Bongaon District police said.According to cops, sub-inspector Bikash Chandra Sardar sought assistance from HAM radio volunteers and contacted Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club. “A photograph of the man was circulated. Within hours, his family was traced in Bihar,” Nag Biswas told TOI.Mustafa is a resident of Bihar’s Purnia. His son, Nihal Ansari, said his father was suffering from Alzheimer’s and went missing nearly 10 years ago. “We started his treatment after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. But one day, he suddenly went missing. We searched extensively for years, lodged missing diaries at several police stations, and reviewed CCTV footage. We saw him boarding a bus and learned that he got down at Dankuni. Despite looking for him there, we could not find him. Over time we had almost given up and thought that we would never see him again,” said Ansari. On Saturday, Mustafa’s family arrived at Bongaon PS. “We are extremely grateful to the police and the HAM operators. Getting him back feels like a miracle,” Ansari added.
