Neglected and cheated, elderly couple cry for right from son

Virtually abandoned and cheated allegedly by the only living son and his wife, an elderly ailing couple are passing days amid sufferings.

Rabeya Begum, 55, mother of the son, submitted a complaint to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Kalapara over the matter on Wednesday.

Rabeya and her husband Md Eunus Gazi, 65, of Mithaganj village under Kalapara upazila, had two sons and two daughters.

“After sudden death of the elder son and a daughter a few years ago, my husband became sick and eventually paralysed. He has remained bed-ridden for the last three years,” Rabeya said in her compliant to the UNO.

“With the money from selling my father’s property, I built a semi-pucca building for my son Mamun Gazi and gave him a motorbike, which he uses to carry passengers for rental. But as he and his wife neglected us regarding food and treatment, we took shelter at our daughter’s house three years back.

“Twenty days ago Mamun took his father to his house in the name of arranging treatment. Then Mamun took him to Kalapara upazila land office and made him hand over an acre of land to him.

“I came to see my husband at Mamun’s house but I had to eat at a neighbour’s house as Mamun and his wife Khadija didn’t give me any food. I returned to my daughter’s house seven days later,” Rabeya said.

The UNO on Thursday called Mamun at his office where the latter promised to take care of his parents but Mamun didn’t even take back his mother to his house.

Rabeya’s daughter Farida Begum said, “My brother took my father from my house 20 days ago and forcibly took an acre of land from him. But he isn’t doing anything for our parents.”

Ismail Gazi, younger brother of Eunus Gazi, and Kazi Hemayet Uddin, chairman of local union parishad (UP), supported Farida’s statement.

“We tried to solve the issue on several occasions but Mamun and his wife didn’t listen,” the UP chairman said.

Mamun Gazi claimed that his father willingly gave the land and he arranged his father’s treatment by a village doctor.

He, however, remained silent when asked about his mother.

Mamun’s wife Khadija Begum said, “I never misbehaved with Mamun’s parents.”

Kalapara UNO Md Munibur Rahman said, “After getting complaint from Rabeya Begum, I called her son Mamun. In presence of the local UP chairman, he promised taking care of his parents and arranging their treatment. I also asked Mamun to return the land to his father. Otherwise, lawful step will be taken.”