Ex-DIG's claimed 7 kids are not siblings
Former deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Anisur Rahman and his wife are not the biological parents of the "septuplets" rescued from their house and the children are not siblings either, revealed DNA test results.
The High Court (HC) bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Farid Ahmed yesterday read out the DNA test reports before the lawyers of Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers Association (BNWLA) and Bangladesh Society for Establishment of Human Rights (BSEHR).
In 2006, BNWLA and BSEHR filed a writ petition seeking legal custody of the children -- four boys and three girls -- rescued from the former DIG's residence.
The HC bench fixed today (Wednesday) for the delivery of its verdict on the matter.
The reports of the DNA tests, conducted at the DNA laboratory at Dhaka Medical College, were presented yesterday before the court through the Supreme Court (SC) authorities as per a previous order of the HC.
The children have been identified as Marium, Aimon Rahman Anis, Alas Rahman Akand, Nafis Rahman Nais, Dian Rahman, Jannatul Nafiza Rahman and Jannatul Anisa Rahman.
The children's 'mother' Anwara Rahman, accused in an extortion case, has been in jail for the last few months while the 'father' did not appear before the court yesterday.
Advocate Faowzia Karim Firoz, a counsel for the writ petitioners, yesterday told The Daily Star that the self-proclaimed parents of the children did not comply with an earlier HC order of taking DNA tests to determine their parenthood and their lawyer advocate Kazi M Sajwar Hossain was not even present in the court during the hearing of the case yesterday.
The seven children are now at the BNWLA shelter home 'Proshanti' in Agargaon in the city, she said adding, "We've taken all measures for the treatment and well-being of the children who will remain there until their parents are found. We have submitted a supplementary application stating the present status of their physical health to the court."
Meanwhile, advocate Alena Khan, one of the petitioners, said that the HC has directed former DIG Anisur Rahman to appear before the court today.
On August 6, the HC had asked Dhaka Medical College authorities to carry out the tests at its DNA Lab under the supervision of the SC authorities upon the petition filed by BNWLA and BSEHR in 2006. The HC asked a deputy registrar of the Supreme Court to supervise the DNA tests and ordered BNWLA and BSEHR to bear all the expenses.
The HC also asked BNWLA and BSEHR to take the children to BNWLA's shelter home 'Proshanti' in Agargaon in the city after collecting the samples for DNA tests and ordered the two organisations to take steps for proper treatment of the children under a child specialist.
Furthermore, the court directed the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police to ensure security of the children.
The same day, the HC appointed former attorney general advocate Mahmudul Islam as amicus curiae (friend of court) for legal interpretation and he recommended conducting of DNA tests.
A medical board collected blood and saliva samples of the children for DNA tests on the same day. The medical board headed by Prof Mizanul Haque carried out the DNA tests.
In 2006, reports were published in different newspapers about the ex-DIG couple living in a house with 14 children and seven of them appeared to be of the same age -- between 18 and 24 months. The couple maintained that they were the parents of the children and the seven were "septuplets".
On June 15, 2006, BSEHR Executive Director advocate Alena Khan filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act with Badda Police Station.
Alena Khan told reporters yesterday that if the HC permits, her organisation will bear the expenses of having the DNA reports examined in Singapore.
Advocate Mahmudul Islam was present as amicus curiae in the court while, advocate Mohammad Asaduzzaman represented the human rights organisations.
Comments