Rahima’s ‘abduction’: Families of the accused seek fresh probe

The family members of the five accused in the Rahima Begum abduction case yesterday demanded immediate release of their relatives from jail.

Speaking at a press conference at the Khulna Press Club, they also called for a fresh investigation into the case.

The demands came after Syed Mushfiqur Rahman, superintendent of police working at Khulna Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), said arrestees Golam Kibria and Mohiuddin would be remanded as Rahima in her statement before a Khulna court named the duo as her abductors.

The other accused are Rafiqul Islam Palash, Mohammad Jewel and Helal Sharif. All the five accused are Rahima's neighbours.

Rahima, 55, was allegedly abducted on August 27 from her house in Khulna city's Uttar Banikpara. The next day, her daughter Adri Akhter filed the case with the Daulatpur Police Station, accusing the five.

The PBI is now probing the case.

The family members of the accused yesterday alleged that the abduction was planned and plotted by the abductee and her daughter Mariam Mannan.

Rahima went into hiding voluntarily to get the arrestees into trouble as she was involved in a land related dispute with them, the family members told journalists at the press conference.

The families also claimed that Rahima and Mariam were trying to distort facts by providing false information to law enforcers.

"My husband has not committed any crime. He was arrested on August 30, about a week before my daughter was born. This left me helpless," said Helal's wife Monira Akhter.

She also said she would take legal action against Rahima once her husband is cleared of the charges.

Rahima was found unharmed on September 24, living as a guest at his former tenant Kuddus Molla's residence in Faridpur's Boalmari upazila, said Abdur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police, who lead the rescue team to Faridpur.

She, however, didn't tell how and why she travelled to Faridpur, Rahman added.

On September 23, Mariam identified a body, recovered by police, as her mother's at Phulbari Police Station in Mymensingh.