Missing kid rescued from imam's room in Sirajganj

A three-year-old kid was rescued from the room of a mosque's imam in Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj on Wednesday, three days after he went missing.

Pallab Chakraborty, son of Hindu priest Polan Chakraborty of Brommogasa village in the upazila, had been missing since August 21, according to family sources.

Hearing the sound of a child crying out, locals and police rushed to the room of Robiul Islam, imam of Brommogasa Bazaar Mosque, and rescued the child on Wednesday evening. The room is next to the mosque.

Police could not ascertain why the boy was confined in the room.

The three-year-old returned home yesterday after receiving treatment at Raiganj Upazila Health Complex for illness, said Md Golam Sarwar Liton, chairman of the local union parishad.

“The imam dug a pit on the clay floor of his room and kept the kid there,” said Md Mahbub Alam, officer-in-charge of Raiganj Police Station.

After receiving a complaint from the child's family, police on Monday night detained Robiul, also an irrigation pump operator, at the village.

Following the rescue of Pallab, his father filed an abduction case with the police station on Wednesday night accusing the imam. The minor boy used to go to the imam as they were neighbours, the OC said.

Talking to journalists at her home, Pallab's mother Dola Chakraborty said her son was playing near their home on August 21. She had seen her son walking to Robiul before he went missing.

Polan thanked the police and locals for rescuing his son. He, however, was worried about Pallab's security.

Meanwhile, police yesterday produced the imam before the Sirajganj Judicial Magistrate's Court and sought 10-day remand for him. The court fixed Sunday for hearing the remand prayer and sent the accused to jail, said OC Mahbub.

UP Chairman Sarwar said Robiul was removed from his post yesterday. Villagers demanded exemplary punishment for the abductor“s”, he added.