Families from north 24 parganas remain stranded in conflict hit iran and seek urgent government intervention

Kolkata: What began as a spiritual pilgrimage and an academic pursuit have turned into a nightmare for a number of families in North 24-Parganas. As many as 11 tourists from Deganga and three students from Swarupnagar and Basirhat are now stranded in conflict-ridden Iran.The group of pilgrims from three families in Dhalipara under Chaurashi gram panchayat in Deganga left for Iran on May 30 to visit prominent religious sites in Mashhad, Qom, and Shiraz. They were scheduled to return on June 18. However, the conflict in the region left them trapped under life-threatening conditions, with limited access to food, water, and communication.Family members in Deganga said they lost all contact with the group after June 17. "Our last call barely lasted a minute. Since Tuesday, there has been complete silence. We are getting updates on television," said Sahila Khatun, daughter of Gofur Ali Gayen, one of the stranded tourists.The group in Iran includes Gofur Ali Gayen, his wife Sukran Bibi, Sahid Ali Gayen and his wife Muslima Bibi, their neighbour Akram Hossain, and other elderly members. "They must be terrified and starving," said a relative.Akram Hossain's wife, Salma Bibi, broke down in tears. "I just want my husband back. Nothing else matters now," she said. Hossain Mehdi, son of Sahid Ali, echoed her concerns and urged both the central and state govts to take immediate steps. "We've informed the local administration, but now we need decisive action from the ministry of external affairs to bring them home," he said.Imran Hossain and his wife Muskan Khatun of Mirjapur in Swarupnagar, who travelled to Iran in 2023 to pursue a postgraduate course in Persian at the University of Isfahan, have become incommunicado since Sunday. The couple lived in Isfahan for the past two years. "We last spoke to them on Sunday. After that, their phones have been unreachable. We are in complete darkness and have no idea how to bring them back," said Imran's mother, Rehena Khatun.A researcher, Sayed Baqir Majlisi Rizvi, from Sankchura in Basirhat went to Iran in 2018 to pursue higher studies in Persian and is currently doing his PhD at Al-Mustafa International University in Qom. He is still stuck in his hostel. His family said that he had been trying to reach out to the Indian Embassy since Saturday, but with flight services suspended, his return is uncertain now.