‘My mother is not a political issue, I just want her back’: Mamataz Begum’s son

Amid the high-pitched campaign for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, the issue of missing Mamataz Begum has returned to the political spotlight, with her son appealing to political parties to stop politicising his mother's case and urging the government to help trace her.

"Mamataz Begum is not a political issue. I want my mother, not politics," her son said.

He alleged that Congress and AIUDF were using his mother's case for political purposes and said the family wanted her whereabouts to be established rather than see her name raised at political meetings.

According to him, no Congress leader had so far visited the family to enquire about their situation. He claimed that some AIUDF members had visited them, but the family had not received any assistance from them.

The son expressed hope that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP-led NDA candidate for the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, Devashish Sharma, would help trace his mother.

"I want my mother. I do not want politics. I hope the Chief Minister and Devashish Sharma will bring my mother back. Please find my mother," he said.

He also expressed his desire to meet Sarma personally and seek his intervention.

"I want to meet the Chief Minister. Sir, please help find my mother. Bring my mother back. I only want my mother," he said.

The latest reported information on the case comes amid legal proceedings concerning Mamataz Begum's deportation to Bangladesh. According to a report citing the case proceedings, she was declared a foreigner by the Juria Foreigners Tribunal in 2019 and was subsequently detained before being sent across the India-Bangladesh border in June 2026.

Her husband, Mujammel Haque, later approached the Gauhati High Court. The court, in an order reported on September 3, directed the Ministry of External Affairs to take necessary steps to trace Mamataz Begum in Bangladesh and facilitate her return to India. The court also directed the Assam government to provide her husband interim compensation of Rs 2 lakh, according to the report.

Following the court's directions, Bangladeshi authorities were reported to have begun efforts to trace her, although her whereabouts had not been confirmed at the time of the latest report.

The issue has also featured prominently in the ongoing Nagaon bypoll campaign, with Sarma and opposition leaders trading allegations over Mamataz Begum's case.

For her son, however, the appeal remains focused on finding his mother.

"My mother is not a political issue. Congress and AIUDF should stop doing politics. I only want my mother," he said.

The Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll is scheduled for October 6, with NDA candidate Devashish Sharma, Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal among the prominent candidates in the contest.

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Cracks appear in houses, roads in Assam’s Ledo amid coal dumping allegations

Several houses and roads in Jharna Basti in Assam's Ledo have developed cracks, with residents alleging that coal dumping by the Northeastern Coalfields (NEC), Coal India Limited, in Margherita is responsible for the damage.

Residents said cracks began appearing in houses in the area from September 25 and claimed that more than 70 houses have been affected.

Dil Bahadur Chetry (Munna), a resident of Jharna Basti, said his family and other residents had been living in the area for around eight decades, but the situation had changed following alleged coal dumping in the vicinity.

"More than 70 houses have developed cracks because of the coal dumping," Chetry alleged.

He also claimed that a waterfall that previously existed in Jharna Basti had been blocked, affecting the natural flow of underground water.

According to Chetry, the altered water flow could be contributing to the cracks appearing in houses in the area.

The residents have urged the Margherita Co-District Commissioner, Margherita Circle Office, local MLA Bhaskar Sharma, the Assam Geology and Mining Department and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene and conduct an immediate survey of the affected area.

Chetry said authorities should not delay the survey as the cracks have raised concerns among residents about the safety of their homes and surrounding roads.

India Today NE attempted to contact officials of NEC, Coal India Limited, Margherita, for their response to the allegations. Their response was not available at the time of publication.

The cause of the structural damage has not been independently established, and an official assessment would be required to determine whether coal dumping or changes in the area's drainage and geology contributed to the cracks.