Ward Chairman Thapa Rescues Amrit Stranded in UAE and Reunites Him with Family

Lekhnath

Amrit Ranabhat, a resident of Ward No. 26, Pokhara Metropolitan City, who had been stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for five months, was rescued and reunited with his family.

Ward No. 26 Chairman Narendra Thapa rescued Ranabhat from the UAE and handed him over to his family on Tuesday.

Ranabhat had gone to the UAE in 2023 for employment as a Gypsum Board Helper. Initially, he was promised a salary of 1,100 dirhams, but after not receiving the agreed payment, he left the company and joined another firm, Jhumar Technical Service. There too, he faced issues with delayed or insufficient salaries.

Due to poor management at work, he had been stranded on the streets for the past five months. Ranabhat said, “I tried many times to come home, but no one supported me. I didn’t even have money or a mobile phone to call home.”

He described finding his own ward chairman during his stranded situation as feeling like finding a guardian. He spent days in abandoned areas, sometimes on the streets, sometimes near places where Nepalis worked. He endured many nights hungry and walked on public transport all day to escape the heat.

After learning about Ranabhat’s situation through social media, Chairman Thapa, who was attending an event in the UAE, rescued him.

After bringing his son home, Amrit’s mother, Shanti Ranabhat, expressed that she felt like she had received God in the form of the ward chairman. She said, “Villagers showed us a TikTok video of my son stranded. Now that he is back, he is our only support.”

Amrit, now back home, said he plans to engage in agriculture in his village and spend time with his mother and siblings.

Chairman Thapa said that rescuing a citizen stranded abroad fulfills a public representative’s duty. He also expressed his commitment to help Amrit create employment opportunities.

Ranabhat had gone to the UAE two years ago through a manpower agency named Paradise, spending one lakh rupees.