Relatives of those arrested in a case filed after the disappearance of a woman named Rahima Begum in Khulna have demanded unconditional release of their loved ones and trial of those behind their suffering.
The speakers at the human chain alleged that Rahima’s daughter Moriom Mannan was behind the arrests along with Aduri Akhter and Miraz Hossain, among others.
The relatives organized a human chain on the Khulna-Jessore highway at Fulbaria bus stand intersection in the morning and urged the law enforcers to book the main culprits behind the entire episode of Rahima’s disappearance and reappearance.
Meanwhile, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has said that the statement given by Rahima Begum to the PBI and in the court is misleading.
However, the PBI is verifying her statement given in court, Khulna Superintendent of Police Syed Mushfiqur Rahman told UNB yesterday.
So far, nothing has been found that proves Rahima’s statement to be true, said the PBI official.
Now the investigation officer will go to Bandarban for further inquiries since Rahima went to Islampur in Bandarban Sadar upazila as she mentioned in her statement in court.
Besides, police suspect the involvement of Belal Hawlader, Rahima’s second husband, in her disappearance.
“We are hopeful of getting proper information if we interrogate him. We’ve submitted a plea to the court for his remand,” the officer added.
Rahima, whose family claimed she went missing, reappeared after 29 days on September 24, but not before her family members had filed a case and six people were arrested.
Police initially suspected that she had left her home due to some family dispute over land.
The entire incident got diverted when her daughter Moriom Mannan claimed to have traced her dead body on September 22.
"I have just found my mother's body," Moriom Mannan wrote in a Facebook post.
Md Saiful Islam, local Awami League leader and councillor of ward no 2 in Khulna, has alleged that Rahima had been living a normal life during her stay in Faridpur.
Rahima claimed to law enforcers that she had been living in the house of one Kuddus in Boalmari union since September 17.
The councillor said that he was informed of Rahima’s presence in the area through a member of ward no 9 of Jogipol union, named Mosharraf.
Mosharraf said that Rahima was seen in an ebullient mood in the house but sensing the presence of law enforcers and the councillor, she went quiet.
Rahima told the visitors that she was afraid that her daughters would force her to sell properties belonging to her husband. And due to these fears, she had taken refuge in the house. She also tried to get a new voter identity card but fearing it would raise suspicion, she abandoned the plan.
