85-year-old son clears father’s 50-year-old bank debt in Dhubri court

Dhubri, Sept 13: For 85-year-old Taiyab Ali of Dhubri, the past came knocking at his door this week when he received a notice - not addressed to him - but to his long-deceased father, Md Ishak Mia. The letter, issued in connection with the National Lok Adalat held at the District and Sessions Judge Court, Dhubri, summoned his father to appear on September 13, 2025.

But there was one jarring detail—Md Ishak Mia had passed away nearly 50 years ago.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Ali, holding the notice that bore his father’s name as if he were still alive. Driven by curiosity and a sense of responsibility, he on rushed to the court on Saturday to understand the matter.

What he discovered was both surprising and deeply poignant. A case had been pending in his father’s name since even before his death, relating to a minor issue over the minimum balance in a bank current account. The amount in question? Just Rs 540.

The case file, long forgotten, had gathered dust for decades until the Lok Adalat brought it up in its effort to clear long-pending cases.

For many, it might have seemed trivial - after all, the man in question had been gone for half a century. But for Ali, it wasn’t just about money, it was a matter of duty. Standing in the court where his father’s name was called, the frail yet determined son made a decision.

“I cannot allow any debt of my father to remain unsettled,” he said softly, before paying the sum on behalf of his late father.

The gesture moved many in the court on Saturday. What was legally a minor settlement became a powerful act of remembrance and devotion. “It was not about the Rs 540,” remarked one of the advocate. “It was about a son’s love and duty that time itself could not erase.”

In a world often marked by family disputes over wealth and inheritance, Ali’s action carried a rare and timeless message—that respect and responsibility towards one’s parents transcend the limits of time and even death.

As he stepped out of the court premises, the debt cleared, Ali seemed lighter. Fifty years after losing his father, he had finally brought closure to a matter his father could never settle. The amount was small, but the meaning was immeasurable.