'Our son was brainwashed'
A few days before leaving home, Golam Faizullah Fahim, who was killed in “crossfire” on Saturday, started spending time with a youth after prayers at a Dakkhinkhan mosque.
Having noticed that, Faizullah's mother asked him not to meet with the youth, whom she never saw before. But he did not listen to his mother, Faizullah's father Golam Faruk told The Daily Star yesterday.
Faruk said his son used to tell his mother, “Don't I have any personal liberty to meet someone I like?”
“My son was brainwashed [by the youth] in the mosque, and that is why he left home in the middle of his HSC examination,” Faruk said, adding that his wife did not know the youth's name but would recognise him if she saw him.
Faizullah was a suspect in Wednesday's machete attack on Madaripur college teacher Ripon Chakraborty. Reportedly, he was caught by locals while fleeing after the attack and then handed over to the police.
Police later claimed he died in a “gunbattle” with cops and his cohorts during an operation to nab some other suspects.
Faruk said Faizullah used to say his regular prayers at the mosque close to their house most of the time, but had started spending up to half an hour with that boy after prayers only recently. His mother saw him at least twice with that boy since late last month.
Faruk said his son had been pious all along, always saying his prayers, reciting Quran and other religious books.
Asked whether he had any link with Islami Chhatra Shibir, Faruk said his son was always against Shibir or Tablig Jamaat.
After his arrest, Madaripur Superintendent of Police Sarwar Hossain claimed that Faizullah said he was a member of banned militant outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir.
The name of Hizb-ut Tahrir came up for the first time in connection with the string of targeted killings following the attempt on the life of Ripon, who survived the attack.
Over the last three years, suspected militants have attacked and killed university professors, writers, publishers, secular bloggers, gay rights activists, foreigners, policemen and members of religious minorities, including Shia and Sufi Muslims, Christians and Hindus.
Reportedly, terror group Islamic State claimed responsibilities for many of the attacks. But the government maintains the group has no presence in the country, and squarely blames the opposition parties such as the BNP and Jamaat for those.
Asked about the “crossfire,” Faruk only said his son was killed after torture. He would not elaborate further.
After Faizullah left home abruptly on the morning of June 11, Faruk filed a general diary and went to police and Rab for two days, asking for information about his son.
“But instead of giving me any clue, they rather asked me if I had any news,” he said.
While leaving the house, Faizullah said he was going to a friend's in Tongi to make preparations for the next day's exam.
But he later sent an SMS to his father, saying he was going abroad and that they would meet again if he was alive.
On that night, they found his phone open for some time, but it was found switched off after his father called him twice.
Later, tracking his phone, police found the location to be in Sylhet.
Meanwhile, Faizullah was buried at his village home of Dariapur in Chapainawabganj yesterday.
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