Bangladesh: Hopeful embrace ends eight years of despair as Mariam is reunited with her husband

Back in 2016, daily life was full of hardships for Mariam and her family in the remote village of Moloi Jaga Ruwai in Myanmar, located near a river bordering Bangladesh. Amid the ongoing conflict-related tension, the community was living in perpetual fear due to a constant threat of violence. To seek safety and stability for his family, Mahmood, Mariam’s husband, made the difficult decision to leave for Bangladesh. However, after languishing in a refugee camp for a while, bereft of hope and without any prospects of a better future, he eventually made his way to Greece. Unfortunately, following his journey to Greece, the family was unable to keep in touch with Mahmood and they lost track of each other.

Shortly after, the situation worsened for Rohingya communities as the violence intensified in 2017. Attacks on families became increasingly severe, with widespread reports of forced labour and the abduction of women and children. Mariam was forced to make the painful choice to flee, and leave behind the life they knew, to ensure the safety of her two young sons. She crossed the border into Bangladesh, together with her sons and her elderly in-laws, finding temporary shelter in the refugee camps.

The arduous journey and the difficult conditions within the camp took a toll on the family. Mariam’s ageing in-laws succumbed to illness, leaving her as the sole caregiver for her sons. She felt increasingly isolated and uncertain of her family’s future, with each year that passed without any news of Mahmood.

Life in the camp was a never-ending struggle for Mariam and her sons. Limited resources made survival a daily challenge, and the trauma of displacement continued to weigh heavily on them. She tried to instill hope within her children, as she grappled with their constant questions about when they will see their father again, even as her own hope was slowly fading.

Meanwhile, Mahmood, who was granted asylum in Greece, searched tirelessly for his family. He reached out to any contact he could find, hoping that someone would have information about his family and their whereabouts. Finally, after years of waiting, he received a message that Mariam and his sons were alive, living in the refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Buoyed by this positive development, Mahmood began the difficult process of family reunification. This is when he reached out to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who mobilized a team across multiple countries to help him reunite with his family. However, the path forward posed several legal and administrative obstacles. Undeterred by the challenges, our team assisted Mariam and Mahmood through the complex process by coordinating with authorities in multiple countries and the International Organization for Migration, and by providing support with the issuance of emergency travel documents and facilitating critical communication. An unwavering, unified commitment to relieve their suffering guided our team through four years of relentless pursuit to ensure that Mahmood can be reunited with Mariam and their children.

Finally, after nearly eight years of separation and countless moments of uncertainty, the family was granted travel authorization. In a moment filled with emotion, on 6 November 2024, Mariam and her sons took their first steps on Greek soil, where Mahmood was waiting to embrace them. “To hold them in my arms again… I thought this day would never come,” whispered Mahmood in a breaking voice as he held his family tightly.

"The pain of all those years, all those questions without answers… was finally over," said Mariam, expressing great relief after being reunited with her husband. The reunion marks the end of a long, painful separation and the beginning of a new chapter where Mariam and Mahmood can focus on building a safe and hopeful future for their children.