<i>Man, 2 daughters rescued from 'self-confinement'</i>

Police with the help of locals yesterday rescued a man and his two daughters, who were confined to a house in the city's Housing Estate area for over a year.
Afia Khatun Lucky, 33, and Safia Khatyun Koli, 30, were totally barred from coming out of the house by their father.
Besides, the man used to force them to follow 'religious acts'.
Following a meeting at the local ward councilor's office, all the three were rescued from the house and admitted to the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in the afternoon.
Family sources and locals said, spending about 28 years in the UK, Nur Uddin returned home in 1998. The man used to cook himself to feed his young daughters putting their health at risk.
The neighbours and others first noticed the abnormal behaviour of the man one and half years ago.
Hailing from Koikhai village in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj district, Nur did not allow anybody to join his wife's janaja. He alone arranged the burial and other rituals when she died about one and a half years ago, family sources said.
Since his wife's death Nur put his daughters in two separate rooms under lock and key. They were not given sufficient food while the electricity, water and gas connections of the house were snapped.
He imposed strict restrictions on the daughters in the name of religion and asked his brothers not to interfere in his activities. Besides, Nur on several occasions forced them out of his house when they tried to protest his wrongdoings.
Yesterday, the neighbouring people held a meeting at the office of city corporation's ward councillor at the Housing Estate yesterday morning and went to Nur's house.
On information, police picked them up and arranged their admission into Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Replying to queries from journalists, all the three gave inconsistent answers.
Nur said he would not talk to newsmen. Again he said he would tell 'everything' to police. However, he said “I did nothing wrong and all were done at the instruction of mum (meant the Queen Elizabeth-II)".
Safia, who studied up to class eleven, also said 'My mum knows everything'.
Ward councillor Rezaul Hasan Lodi said they also observed the 'abnormal behaviour' of the man. His wife died of ailments, almost without treatment. Nur wrote meaningless things in Arabic and English on the walls of his house, he said.
Nur Uddin's brother Taj Uddin said, "We noticed his abnormal activities a few years ago, but failed to change them despite repeated attempts. Then we informed the councillor of the matter."
Officer-in-charge of Sylhet Kotwali PS inspector Khondaker Naoroz Ahmed said there is no doubt that all the three people are mentally sick. They have been admitted to hospital, he added.
Dr MA Hafiz, resident of the Housing Estate, also former president of the Sylhet BMA, said all of them need long-term treatment. "Most probably it happened after they suffered a serious shock in the family," he said.